Fr. Simon's Letter - October 15, 2023

If you stood outside a Roman Catholic church today as people came out after Mass and asked them: "Was that a good Eucharist?" most everyone would answer based on the homily and the music. Most people would answer that it had been a good Eucharist if the homily was interesting and the music lively.  

This weekend's gospel is about a wedding feast, an image of the Eucharist. To the Jewish mind, to speak of a wedding feast was to think of a "good time." Scripture frequently used the image of a wedding feast to express the good time God was bursting to share with us, not just in the world to come but already in this life.  

But there is one caveat. You must wear your wedding garment and be ready to "rise to the occasion." There are no doubts about God's intentions. But what about the wedding garment? How do we rise to the occasion when presented with the possibility of a feast and a good time? Or is there more to it?  

There is. Loving God is not a matter simply of saying "How nice!" like I might about ice cream or chocolate. No real love is just that. Love is a relationship. To love is to step into a dance routine, be caught up in the dance, and let oneself love and be loved. To love God is to step into the tumultuous flow of God's infinite love. It is about saying "yes" and encompassing ourselves in God's love. It is about sharing God's love with those who come in contact with us. It is about mercy, forgiveness, patience, truth, and stepping well outside our comfort zone to sing and pray with one another, share our stories, and invite others to the Eucharist. It is the only way to participate and enjoy the wedding feast.

Whatever hesitation we might have about enjoying the wedding feast, let us remind ourselves what St. Paul says in today's second reading, ‘I can do all things in him who strengthens me.’ 

Come to the feast and celebrate with your brothers and sisters.

Blessings!!