DRESS TO EXPRESS

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October 15, 2017
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First reading (Isaiah 25:6-10A)
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 23:1-6)
Second reading (Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20)
Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14)


What do you wear at different times of the day? When you sleep? When you go to the mall? When you go on a date? Who wears a tuxedo to the beach? Or swimwear to a formal meeting? We wear only according to our intention. We normally go to bed in our pyjamas or house clothes so that we can sleep comfortably; to school in our uniforms to distinguish ourselves as students; or to the pool with our swimwear to make swimming a more pleasant experience. Our gospel reading for this Sunday would tell us the same thing.

In our gospel reading (according to St. Matthew), Jesus tells His disciples a parable about a wedding feast were people were invited. Many refused the invitation, which led the host to extend the invitation to everyone. The rich were invited. So were the poor. So were the healthy. So were the handicapped. So were the generous. So were the greedy. So were the bad. So were the good. God calls all to His feast. He invites us all to come to Him. When He finds out that we do not respond, he calls on others.

But if we responded, if He finds out that we responded to His call, what happens next? We have to prepare for the occasion that God calls us into. When God calls one to the priesthood, the called needs to surrender himself to seminary formation. When God calls one to help others, the called needs to possess what is needed to help others. When God calls us to come to Him, and we respond, we respond in sincerity and repentance.

This is what happened in our gospel reading. One of those invited came to the wedding feast, but was dressed inappropriately. He was sent out. He invited everyone to the feast, but the invited failed to prepare himself and dress appropriately for the feast. Here, "dressed inappropriately" means to respond to the invitation of God inappropriately. This means propagating vices when God calls one to the priesthood. This means to pamper the  self in self-gratification when called to help others. This means praying with our lips and not our hearts, or pretending to be holy and righteous, when God calls us to Himself.

When God calls us to a specific task, we dress accordingly. To the seminary? Wear a spirit of surrendering as our clothes. To help others? Wear a spirit of generosity and sensitivity. To God Himself? Wear a spirit of sincerity and repentance.

Let us avoid following in the footsteps of the guest who dressed inappropriately for the wedding feast. Let us always put on virtues when called by God. Let us always put on Christ in our service to others, for it is only in putting on Jesus Christ that we put on love. It is only when putting on love that we will be allowed to enter the wedding feast of the Lord.

Let us dress for the occasion. Let us dress according to our intentions. Let us dress in preparation for the event. Let us dress to express these. Let us dress to express virtues. Let us dress to express love. Let us dress to express Jesus.


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