A FEAST OF FAT THINGS:::28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 Year A

Isaiah 25:6-10a

Psalm 23:1-3a.3b-4.5.6(R. 6cd)

Philippians 4:12-14. 19-20

Matthew 22:1-14

A FEAST OF FAT THINGS 

In the first reading, we are promised the messianic banquet where the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces. The responsorial psalm which is the popular psalm 23 about the Lord been our Shepherd continues with the theme of God’s plan of salvation where he becomes our Shepherd and feeds us.

In the Second reading, St. Paul says he has learnt the secret of facing plenty and hunger and hence he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him.

And in the Gospel, we have Jesus directing his parables to the Chief priest and elders of the people, saying the kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a marriage feast to his son, and that since those who were first invited did not accept the invitation, everyone is invited, but we must be worthy of the wedding feast by wearing a wedding garment.

Among the ancient Jewish people, partaking of a meal had deep significance. In fact, sharing a meal with another person created a deep bond with that person, even if you happened to eat with your mortal enemy, you could never harm that enemy. Have a look at  the treaty between Joshua and the Gibeonites (Joshua 9). So imagine the Psalmist saying the Lord prepares a table before him in the sight of his foes, that means they both can never harm each other.

In today's first reading, a feast of fat things brings to mind the fact that in the Book of Leviticus chapter 3, we have a definitive statement about "all fats". The Book of Leviticus chapter 3 is about Communion Sacrifice, the emphasis on communion sacrifice fell on Life but not on death. In this case, the life of the sacrificial victim was shed or surrendered  in order to be transformed, in order to be shared. The Communion Sacrifice is also called  peace offering. 

Let's look at a brief outline of communion sacrifice:

1. It begin as the offeror approaches the altar with the victim animal (from herd, flock, sheep or goat). The offeror placing his hands on the head of the victim, identify himself with the victim. He says, in effect, “The life which is about to be surrendered is my life.”
2. Then he slaughters the victim by slitting its throat and drain the blood into altar receptacles.
3. Next, the work of the priest begins. He take some of the blood, the surrendered life, into the nearer presence of God by sprinkling it on and around the altar.
4. He then place some of the flesh on the holy fire to be burned.The purpose of the burning, symbolically, was not destruction but transformation. Thus in the more ethereal form of smoke, the flesh of the victim is taken up into the presence of God. God thereby received His portion of the surrendered life.
5. In the final stage of communion sacrifice, some of the flesh burning on the holy fire is removed while still edible. The offeror will eat that portion. Thus he partakes of a meal with God, and atonement between God and him is brought about.

Now to the Controversial quote that led me to explain all this about the Communion Sacrifice.

Leviticus 3:17

"All the fat belongs to the LORD. This is a perpetual law for all your descendants, wherever you may live: that you will not eat either fat or blood."

We know that Life is in the Blood (cf. Leviticus 17:14), and when one eats the fat, his soul is cut off from God's people (cf. Leviticus 7:25).

Using Hebrews 9 and 10 to understand this Sacrifice about Christ, we see Jesus Christ fulfilling a threefold role: offeror, victim and priest.

1. Just as in the first stage of animal sacrifice, the offeror approaches with his victim, and identifies himself with the victim, our Lord Jesus  Christ in his incarnation (God becoming man), perfectly and literally identified himself with every human being before his perfect Sacrifice. 
2. Just as in the second stage of animal sacrifice, the offeror releases the life of the victim, our Lord Jesus Christ released His own life in “a death which he freely accepted.
3. Just as in the third stage of animal sacrifice, the priest takes some of the blood, the surrendered life, into the nearer presence of God by sprinkling it on the altar, Jesus Christ the High Priest as he ascended into the Mystery of God in the cloud, took the whole of His surrendered life into the fullness of God’s life.
4. Just as in the fourth stage of animal sacrifice, some of the flesh of the victim was placed on the holy fire, not to be destroyed but to be transformed, Jesus by His death and in His ascension to heaven, is not limited by space and time. Thus He is fully available to all persons of all time: past, present and future. In this sense, the life of God’s Son has been surrendered, in order to be transformed, in order to be shared.
5. Just as in the finally stage we have the communion meal where the offerer eats with God. Jesus Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist as our communion meal with God. What he instituted as an unbloody sacrifice on Holy Thursday, has it deepest meaning in the bloody sacrifice of the Cross on Good Friday.  We share in the meal with God, not merely symbolically, as in Old Testament sacrifice, but literally. God in Christ gives us His very self — Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity — as our spiritual food.

In the Holy Eucharist, we share in the meal with God, which is literally our Lord and our God's Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity  shared for us, which mean it must transform us.

So the Messianic Banquet of today's first reading invites us to have a second look at the communion sacrifice in the light of Jesus's sacrifice on the Cross. For the Messianic Banquet, we are called to a feast of fat things,  and  with Leviticus 3:17 declaring that All fats belongs to God, means we are invited to also eat that which only belongs to God, fat (Body) and blood. 

Thus we are called to be Divine.

The fat which we were prohibited to eat because our Souls will be cut off from God (cf. Leviticus 7:25), now we are been called  to partake in it to be completelybUnited with God (cf. John 6:56).  The blood which we were prohibited to eat because the life is in it (Leviticus 17:14), now we are invited to partake in it and have everlasting life (cf. John 6:54). 

In the Messianic Banquet, the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus is very clear. By his Passion, he shed his body and blood for our Salvation.  In Jerusalem or Zion, Jesus Christ had his Passion.  The Messianic Banquet is also an invitation to this place (cf. Isaiah 24:23). On the Cross, Jesus Christ removed all the coverings that was cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.  Because through his Sacrifice on the Cross, Matthew whose writing is to the Jews said; 

Matthew 27:51

"And suddenly, the veil of the Sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quakes, the rocks were split,"

So through his Cross we are all given a chance to be fully United with God.  Death is swallowed indeed, and the Lord through  the Cross has wiped away tears from all faces. He has indeed taken away our reproach or shame. All done through the Cross. 

However the problem is that we don't understand the secrets of the Cross. So as I always say with the language of exorcism;

Christ Jesus has already overcome the powers of evil and death, but appropriating the Victory thereof is another thing.

 Paul tells us in the second reading that he has learnt the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. And with this he finally say he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. 

Simply, we are called to become like the Smokes of the sacrifice, not been affected by place and time or any situation.  This is what is termed as transformation. 

If we look at this statements with regard to spirituality, we see the languages of consolation and desolation strongly here. Consolation is the opposite of desolation.  Consolation simply put is been comforted while desolation is been empty or not comforted. 

Therefore the reason for Christ been the Strength of Paul is that on the Cross where both natures of Jesus Christ (God nature and Man nature) was nailed, we find both Consolation and Desolation. 

So with a spice from my spiritual teacher St. John of the Cross, whom I am striving to follow his footsteps, I say since God is Nada (nothing) in his action and Todo (All) in himself.  God consoles us in our desolation and also invites us to desolation by becoming nothing so that we will have him who is All.

Looking then at the gospel, we see that the Banquet of marriage feast that the King gave for his Son is not an ordinary Banquet.  Who will reject an invitation to a party an go along with his business or kill the servants who where sent to them. I really like the theme that the Daily Missal used for today's readings, "We are invited to a banquet, not to a funeral." As I said earlier concerning the first reading, we see that this is exactly about the Cross. But we are called to a joyful gathering under the Cross. Through the Cross everyone is called to Salvation. 

However the problem about this too is the wedding garment.  Let's ask ourselves if we have the wedding garments for the feast we are called to.  I think here we see why we must approach and receive the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace. 

The wedding garment then will be, been clothed in the grace of God, which we saw in yesterday's first reading of Galatians 3:22-29, where Paul tells us to put on Christ and this is achieved through Baptism. This also has a link with putting on the full amor of God (cf. Ephesians 6: 11). That implies putting on the Word of God who is eternally begotten so as to gain eternal life.

As we are called to a feast of fat things and choices wines, we are also called to be in a state of grace, so that as we continue  to surrender our lifes to God, we will live a transformed life where Jesus is not just an example to copy but our veritable life to live. 

In short, as we are called to the Banquet, we are called to shed our lives in order to share God's life. Live a transformed life, become like a pleasing Smoke. 

By Sylvester Amakye-Quayson