Of Wedding Feasts

Day's Saints

Teresa of Avila, Carmelite Doctor of the Church
Odilo, Benedictine

Is 25:6-10a
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
a feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from every face;
the reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

Gospel Mt 22:1-14

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."

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The heavens take on the hues of the Lord
Our God and by the power of His light
we are saved.

Let us implore the Lord for the grace to be prepared to come ready for the wedding feast. He is our life, and we have no choice but the heaven of God, or the hell of our persecutors. They will be annihilated and all those who love them, with them.

Those who love the Lord will be treated as His children and they will be safe in Him; indeed more than safe but held in love forever enwrapped in His affection.

If He asks you a penance, do not begrudge Him a little of it for the sake of saving His children. The enemy acts as though there can be no other reality, but they deceive themselves, because the reality of Jesus IS reality, and woe betide those who despise the Lord or His children, for He is in no mood to suffer their contempt. The day of suffering is upon us in which we taste the chalice He drank from, which alone suffices for every spiritual need. Therefore, let us weep for our sins and ask His forgiveness, for we have sinned.