Jill Bevilacqua reflects on the Sunday Gospel for the Twentyeighth Sunday of the Year
in her programme "There's more in the Sunday Gospel than meets the Eye." Listen:
GospelMt
22:1-10
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of
the people in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be
likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched
his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they
refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, "Tell
those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened
cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."' Some
ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The
rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The
king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned
their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but
those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into
the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The
servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and
good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the
king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding
garment. The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you
came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then
the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him
into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many
are invited, but few are chosen."