Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This week is the second week of the series that we kicked off last week called Wavelength. We spoke about seeing things from our perspective which is always limited and sometimes incredibly limited. You and I are convinced that we are right, especially when we are wrong and it is very difficult to be open and change. So this series is about looking at our way of thinking and being more open and able to change. When someone is thinking like us we say that we are on the same wavelength and this is a great experience when it happens. And we know what it feels like when it does not happen. God wants to have this experience with us as well. He wants you to think as he does, as a Christian man or woman.
You cannot control your thoughts but you can redirect them when they are unhelpful and negative. The most effective way to do this is by turning to God and speaking to him. You and I can feed our brain more healthy food and not the standard fare that is around us. As we heard from St. Paul last week we ought to look for what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and gracious…think about these things. And be more intentional about what you allow to enter your head, your home, your computer, etc.
Today we will look at a very obvious way to get on God’s wavelength and this escapes most people. St. Paul can help us again in his letter to the Philippians where he says, “I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live in abundance, in every circumstance I have learned the secret of living in abundance (Ph. 4: 11-12).” He has learned the secret to living a more satisfying life, which all of us are pursuing. When the circumstances are right and everyone is healthy and employed and the Yankees are in the playoffs (not sure for how long), then we are well. When the circumstances are bad, then we don’t do well either. What is the secret that he learned that does not occur to us? Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The secret is that Jesus Christ can be with him in every situation. Paul knows not to try to handle it on his own. Not everything that happens around us is God’s will, a lot of it stems from disorder or sin.
The gospel this week (Mt. 22: 1-14) about the king’s wedding feast says the same thing: the king invited guests to the feast, but many refused to come. And they decided that it was better for them to go to their field or their business or even seize the servants of the king and mistreat and kill them. They ignore the will of the king, which is for their own benefit, and make poor choices that have damaging consequences. This is what happens to us every day.
The king is giving a wedding for his son, the prince, what could be more elaborate. He is working like crazy to fill up the hall. He even goes to the crossroads of society, the place of transients, rift raft and invites them to the feast. It is Jesus who is telling this parable to the religious leaders and it is obviously a parable about his father and he, the wedding is his. Who is he marrying? You and me, all of the guests who are present. The guests have no pretensions, not an iota of worthiness; they know they were not on the first round of invites. The same is true today. Who enters the Kingdom today, the little ones, the forgotten ones, the rift raft?
We cannot imagine the feast that God is preparing for each one of us; our imagination is not extravagant enough. St. Paul says eye has not seen, nor has ear heard what God is preparing for those who love him. Many times a day we chose something of much less value than what God is preparing. Every Eucharist, every Mass is a foretaste of this messianic banquet. Why would you miss one?
But the invitation is not to come as you are. No, you need to have one your wedding garment or you will be evicted like the man in the gospel. What is the wedding garment? It is your purity of heart, your deeds of service to those who cannot pay you back, your sins forgiven. The king goes to see his guests or rather he beholds them, contemplates them; he loves the beauty of his guests but they need a wedding garment.
Let us continue to look at our thoughts which lead to actions so that we can be more on God’s wavelength. A good first step is to make an inventory or examination of your daily life: to remind ourselves that God is with us, to thank him for a good day or a bad one, and to see where you got upset or impatient or unkind today, and then to ask the Lord to help you in that situation. You can do all things in him and with him. Look for ways to remind yourself a few times each day that he is with you and prepares a great feast for you, and everyone is invited.