And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for
his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage
feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell
those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat
calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.’ But
they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and
burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but
those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to
the marriage feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the
streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding
hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests,
he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding
garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants,
‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will
weep and gnash their teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”[1]
What is the wedding
garment? The first thing that came to
mind was Baptism, but this would have to be incorrect because the man was at
the wedding feast, was already in the Church.
He was called, invited, and came.
Therefore, we can presume that he was baptized. We can also know this because the king
referred to him as "friend."
If the wedding garment is not Baptism, what is it?
Origen teaches: “The marriage-feast of Christ and the Church is filled when
they who were found by the Apostles, being restored to God, sat down to the
feast. But since it behooved that both
bad and good should be called--not that the bad should continue bad, but that
they should put off the garments unsuitable for the wedding and should put on
the marriage garments--to wit, bowels of mercy and kindness. For this cause, the King goes out, that He
may see them set down before the supper is set before them, that they may be
detained who have the wedding garment in which He is delighted and that he may
condemn the opposite.”[2]
He goes on to say: “When He was come
in, He found there one who had not put off his old behavior; ‘He saw there a
man which had not on a wedding garment.’ He speaks of one only because all who, after
faith, continue to serve that wickedness which they had before the faith are
but of one kind.”[3]
Along the same lines, St. Gregory
opines: “What ought we to understand by the wedding garment, but charity? For
this the Lord had upon Him when He came to espouse the Church to Himself. He then enters into the wedding feast without
the wedding garment who has faith in the Church but not charity.”[4] I say this goes along the same line as Origen
because what good is it to change behavior if love of God and neighbor is not
attached?
St. Augustine tells us: “He goes to
the feast without a garment who goes seeking his own, and not the Bridegroom’s,
honor.”[5]
On the other hand, St. Hilary has
another take on it, which is accurate as well: “The wedding garment is the
grace of the Holy Spirit and the purity of that heavenly temper which, taken
upon the confession of a good enquiry, is to be preserved pure and unspotted
for the company of the Kingdom of heaven.”[6]
St. Jerome also correctly notes: “The
marriage garment is the commandments of the Lord and the works which are done
under the Law and the Gospel and form the clothing of the new man. Whoso among the Christian body shall be found
in the day of judgment not to have these is straightway condemned. ‘He says unto him, Friend, how is it you come
in here not having a wedding garment?’ He calls him ‘friend,’ because he was
invited to the wedding as being a friend by faith, but He charges him with lack
of manners in polluting, by his filthy dress, the elegance of the wedding
entertainment.”[7] Hence, this goes along with Origen and St.
Hilary.
Teaching on this parable, St.
Augustine teaches us: “…The Lord came in to inspect the guests at a certain
feast of His. The Master of the house
who had invited them, as it is written, ‘found there a man which had not on a
wedding garment.’ For to the marriage
had that Bridegroom invited them who is fair in beauty above the children of men.
That Bridegroom became deformed because
of His deformed spouse, that he might make her fair. How did the Fair One become deformed? … He emptied Himself, taking the form of a
servant, being made in the likeness of men, and found in fashion as a man. Of His deformity he still further says, ‘He
humbled Himself, having become obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross.’ … What is more ‘fair’ than God?
What more ‘deformed’ than the Crucified?”[8] If Jesus became “deformed” in order that we
be made “fair,” is it not true that we would be in the wrong attire if we still
looked as we did before He changed us?
The question may arise, “How was the
man able to get into the feast in the first place?” St. Augustine gives us some insight: “The
garment that was looked for is in the heart, not on the body, for had it been
put on externally it could not have been concealed even from the servants. Where that wedding garment must be put on,
hear in the words, ‘Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness.’ Of that garment the Apostle speaks, ‘Yet so
that we be found clothed, not naked’ (2 Cor 5:3, D-R). Therefore was he discovered by the Lord, who
escaped the notice of the servants.”[9]
St. Hilary reminds us that “the
elect are distinguished in their wedding garment, splendid in the pure and
perfect body of the new birth.”[10] Tertullian explains, “…’the wedding garment’
may be regarded as the sanctity of the flesh.”[11] Therefore, we are forewarned that we need to
be what God has prepared us to be, even though we do not have the strength nor
the wisdom to do it on our own. Hence,
we constantly pray for the mercy of God, knowing that He will grant our
prayers. May we not fall into the
category of the sinners of which St. Athanasius warns us: “From this (the
banquet), sinners--because it wearied them--are rightly cast out, and hear the words,
‘Friend, how is it you enter in here not having a wedding garment?’ Sinners indeed thirst, but not for the grace
of the Spirit; but, being inflamed with wickedness, they are wholly set on fire
by pleasures, as saith the Proverb, ‘All day long he desires evil desires’.”[12] St. Jerome warns: “Woe to the man who goes in
to the supper without a wedding garment. Nothing remains for him but the stern
question, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And when he is speechless, the order
will be given, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into
outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth’.”[13]
Vivid in my memory is the day I
reported to the Rite of Election, when our names were added to the roles of the
elect. Perhaps, it would have been good
if St. Cyril’s words were recited: “Listen then, O you children of
righteousness, to John’s exhortation when he says, Make straight the way of the Lord. Take away all obstacles and stumbling-blocks,
that you may walk straight onward to eternal life. Make ready the vessels of the soul, cleansed
by unfeigned faith, for reception of the Holy Ghost. Begin at once to wash your robes in repentance
that, when called to the bride-chamber, you may be found clean. For the Bridegroom invites all without
distinction because His grace is bounteous, and the cry of loud-voiced heralds
assembles them all. But the same
Bridegroom afterwards separates those who have come in to the figurative
marriage. O may none of those whose
names have now been enrolled hear the words, Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? But may you all hear, Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few
things, I will set you over many things: enter you into the joy of your Lord.”[14]
[1]
Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Mt 22:1–14.
[2] Aquinas, Thomas. Catena Aurea - Gospel of
Matthew - Enhanced Version (Kindle Locations 13943-13947). Christian Classics
Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.
[3] Ibid.,
(Kindle Locations 13951-13953)
[5]
Ibid., (Kindle Location 13956)
[6]
Ibid., (Kindle Locations 13957-13958)
[7] Ibid.,
(Kindle Locations 13959-13963)
[8]
Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin:
Sermon on the Mount, Harmony of the Gospels, Homilies on the Gospels, 1888,
6, 406–407.
[9] Ibid.,
1888, 6, 393.
[11]
Tertullian, Latin Christianity: Its
Founder, Tertullian, 1885, 3, 565.
[12]
Athanasius of Alexandria, St. Athanasius:
Select Works and Letters, 1892, 4, 549.
[13]
Jerome, St. Jerome: Letters and Select
Works, 1893, 6, 16–17.
[14]
Cyril of Jerusalem, S. Cyril of
Jerusalem, S. Gregory Nazianzen, 1894, 7, 14.
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