Jesus delivers a strange twist in the Parable of the Wedding Feast. The initial invitation of the king is ignored by all for various reasons. So he invites those from the byways and outer reaches of the kingdom, and many come to the feast. However, one man entered the banquet hall and he is harshly questioned by the king about his attire…he isn’t dressed properly and he gets thrown out only to be tortured!!! Does this sound like Jesus? Much like last Sunday’s gospel :”I have come not to bring peace but division.” Jesus can say the most perplexing things, reminding us if the dangers of literal interpretations that fail to see the context and placement of the story or verses. 

Jesus clearly does not  care how we are PHYSICALLY dressed, within reason, of course, but he does care how we are clothed SPIRITUALLY. Right after we are baptized we are “clothed” with a white christening garment, symbolic of our “clothing” ourselves…our souls… with Christ. We “put him on” just like we put on a coat or a shirt.  The man who was thrown out was not clothed properly in his heart and spirit. 

We must “cloth” ourselves with the garments of humility, compassion and mercy. We can’t “dine” in the Kingdom without hearts transformed. Bring “dressed to the nines,” so to speak, means nothing if our hearts aren’t clothed properly. 

Peace. Fr. Frank