“Then he said to the host who invited him,

‘When you hold a lunch or a dinner,

do not invite your friends or your brothers

or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,

in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.

Rather, when you hold a banquet,

invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.

For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’”

It has been a joy and quite a bit of time given for the number of weddings I have had this year. For the first time since I’ve been a priest, both a wedding I had in March and the following reception were designated as black tie events. It was some of Louisville’s high society gathered for a no expense spared celebration. The venue, food, entertainment, decorations, and attire were all top tier. Faith, God, and authentic relationship building were all essential to the couple and families, as well. I am sure, however, like most weddings, that the guest list was curated, seating assignments fretted over, and attention paid to every detail. It was amazing and the best that could be offered. 

When we gather for celebrating the Eucharist, it is not only the best we can offer, but the best that God offers. In the Eucharist, the divine and human are joined, heaven comes to earth, the communion of saints and sinners unite, and the God of all the universe comes to be with his people. It is heavenly society gathered and God spared no expense, the very life of his only begotten Son. The food that is given is beyond top tier. It is the very body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. It is the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation. It is our communion with God. It is love made manifest. Mass is truly a wedding banquet like no other!

So who does God invite to the feast? If we take a clue from the parable in today’s gospel, the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind are obviously invited. More so, all who cannot possibly repay God are invited. From Jesus’s own ministry, we may include the sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, criminals, and centurions. In today’s gospel, he even dined at the house of a leading Pharisee. Last week, we heard, “And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” Later in this same chapter from Luke, Jesus will tell the parable of the great feast. In it, those who were invited offer excuses for why they cannot come. So, the master sent his servant out to invite the same poor, crippled, lame, and blind that we hear in today’s reading, but there was still room! He then orders the servant, “Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled.” God does not fret over the guest list. Not all will choose to come, but all (and I mean all) are invited. 

We Come to Your Feast, a song by Michael Joncas, sums it up this way:

We come to your feast,

we come to your feast:

the young and the old,

the frightened, the bold,

the greatest and the least.

You made the list. You are invited! Come to the feast!