Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14
In today’s Gospel, we hear a very interesting parable, filled with dramatic imagery. It cannot be taken as a literal account of an ordinary wedding, but it must be taken seriously because it speaks to us about God’s invitation and how we respond to it.
My reflection today has three parts:
I. A retelling of the parable
II. An interpretation of the parable
III. Lessons from the parable
I. A RETELLING OF THE PARABLE
A king prepared a feast for his son’s wedding. It was a royal wedding, and the king sent his servants to call those who had already been invited. But the guests showed indifference. They did not treat the invitation as important.
Imagine inviting people to your birthday celebration. You have prepared the food, decorated the place, and arranged for the DJ to play some lovely music. Then, when you send a reminder, your friends begin replying that they are sorry but cannot make it. Your best friend tells you there is a Manchester United and Manchester City match at the same time, so he will not be coming!
The king sent his servants a second time. Some guests went off to their farms, while others returned to their businesses. Some even seized, mistreated and killed the king’s servants. Their response was not simply a refusal to attend. It was a rejection of the king and his authority.
The king responded with judgment, but he did not give up on the feast. He sent his servants into the streets to invite everyone they could find, both good and bad. The wedding hall was filled. Yet, when the king came in, he noticed a man who was not wearing a wedding garment. The man was speechless when challenged, and he was eventually cast out.
II. AN INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLE
Although Jesus addressed this parable immediately to the religious leaders who were rejecting him, it also has something to teach each of us. It is a parable about God’s gracious invitation and the different ways people respond.
The king represents God the Father. The wedding feast is prepared for his Son, Jesus Christ. The bride is the Church, the people joined to Christ in the new covenant. The servants represent the prophets and messengers whom God sent to prepare his people for the coming of the Messiah.
The guests who first refused the invitation represent those who resisted God’s call, despite having been prepared for it. The servants sent into the streets represent the widening of the invitation to all people, including the Gentiles, those who were once outside the covenant.
The man without a wedding garment reminds us that receiving God’s invitation is not the end of the journey. We are also called to respond with a changed life. We must put on the garment of repentance and righteousness, living in a way that reflects the grace we have received.
III. LESSONS FROM THE PARABLE
1. HAVE I RESPONDED TO THE LORD’S INVITATION?
The Lord invites each of us to His banquet. In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah describes this as a banquet of rich food and fine wines. It is an image of the fullness of life, joy and salvation that God desires to give His people.
What does this banquet mean for us in concrete terms? God invites us to repent and receive forgiveness through the blood of His Son. He invites us to surrender our lives to Him, leave behind a life of sin and begin anew in Christ. He invites us to receive His peace, bring our burdens to Him and grow into a deeper relationship with Him.
Christ also invites us to the Eucharist, the greatest banquet, the supper of the Lamb and our earthly participation in the heavenly feast. What is our response?
Do we respond with indifference? Do we tell ourselves that we cannot be bothered, that other things matter more, or that we are not ready?
Do we even become angry with those who remind us of the invitation?
Many of us find excuses to miss Mass. At times, we choose other activities over the Sunday Eucharist. The invitation is a gift, but our response reveals what place God has in our lives. One of the strongest warnings Our Lady has given at Medjugorje concerns people’s attitude towards the Mass and their behaviour during it. We should take that invitation seriously and approach the Eucharist with faith, reverence and love.
2. THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE INVITATION MUST ALLOW GOD TO CHANGE THEM
There is also a challenge here for those of us who have responded to God’s invitation, accepted His offer of salvation in Christ and become members of God’s family.
We cannot claim to belong to God’s family and remain unchanged. We cannot continue to live according to the ways of the world while claiming to be present at the Lord’s banquet. The wedding garment points to who we should become as we receive God’s grace, our spiritual garment (identity) as people called and chosen by grace.
St. Paul says in Colossians 3:12:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Then, in verse 14, he adds:
“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
In Ephesians 4:22-24, St. Paul teaches that we must put off the old self, which belongs to our former way of life, and put on the new self, created in the likeness of God. Galatians 3:27 reminds us that through Baptism we have put on Christ.
Dear friends, today let us reflect not only on how we respond to God’s2026 invitation, but also on how we appear in His presence. This is not primarily about our physical appearance. It is about the condition of our hearts and souls, and the state of our minds.
We pray that the Holy Spirit will clothe us with holiness and love, renew our minds, purify our hearts, strengthen us in humility and cleanse us from sin. May we live as people who have accepted the King’s invitation and are ready for the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on October 11, 2026