On that day, it will be said. "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us! “For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain. - Is 25: 9
Friends, God is good, all the time.
The readings for the 28th Sunday bring back this childhood memory. In 1981, Ghana experienced its worst drought resulting in a severe famine across the country. Now I will tell you what makes such memories lasting to recall after over thirty years. It was telling that being Catholic was exciting. For I recall that the Catholic Church in Ghana received food relief support from the churches in America and Europe during those days. For the whole year, we went to Mass each Sunday and came home with food supplies for the week. The excitement of going to Church and coming back home with rice, wheat, beans, oils etc., was so high and real that families could not wait for each Sunday to come.
The prophet Isaiah speaks beautifully of God's everlasting provisions for his people on earth and which will continue in heaven. The provision of rich food and sweet wine symbolizes the universal joy and happiness God intends for all people. Notice the rich hope the prophet carries in his words to the people about how God will deal with human pain, despair, and sorrows by announcing that God will wipe every tear and destroy death.
Understand that the prayers and kindness of God's people are required to essentially make this lovely plan of God to happen on earth. Christian kindness is a source of healing and life and removes pain and sorrow. The relief that came to us from Catholics in the U.S. and Europe over thirty years ago still forms part of my childhood memories because it supported and sustained many lives in Ghana during those days. Even so today, God uses Christians’ kind deeds to give hope, joy, and happiness to families, friends, and strangers. Sometimes, all it takes is one kind deed to make lasting, profound memories on people's minds. When St. Paul experienced relief support from the Christians in Philippians, he told them, “it was kind for you to share in my distress.”
In another powerful imagery, Jesus singles the disappointing failure of a man to be in a wedding banquet hall without the appropriate clothing. A careful study of the story's details should surprise us that he was considered not well dressed among the group despite the circumstances under which the invitation was rendered. Well, if we understand that his dress didn’t honor the son and that was why the father was furious, then it is more applicable to situate the story within the life of every Christian and how we put on Christ during our baptism. St. Paul urges, “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh's desires.”
The compassion, love, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, and patience of Christ, which we put on at baptism must not be stained or removed so that the Christian is always ready for the heavenly banquet. And if we stain it, has not the Lord given the remedies so that we may deal with it in the confess our sins? It is the will of God that we enter everlasting joy, happiness, and peace that have its ultimate glory and completion in heaven. The Christian must desire to enter and be ready for it at all time.
Prayer blessing: Lord, make yourself known through me; speak to others through me. Amen.