Dear Church Family,
If you are like me (and that would really be something) then you like banquets, BIG banquets. I like all the nice linen, decorations and I enjoy eating slow, because it is such a blessing. This reminds me of what Isaiah proclaims in the 1st reading. He says, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” That sounds like a blessing. Every time I eat afterwards I give thanks to the one who ultimately provides everything and that One is the Lord, Himself. He has truly blessed me with many, many meals. I like to consider them banquets because with banquets there is fellowship, laughter, joy and even the solving of problems, now and then. We come together to express love, friendship and especially wonderful relationships, starting with the family.
So, all is good and everything seems to be around eating in a sacred way. That reminds me of Heaven. Isaiah has that image that a banquet is like Heaven. Jesus says, “The kingdom of Heaven is like a banquet.” A king who gives a wedding feast for his son, we might be amongst the invited quests. But as we know sometimes in our busyness, in our ignorance, in our lack of really being with it, we don’t really accept all the banquet invitations that the Lord has for us. The whole world is a banquet and I see so many blessings. As we look around, you and I see so many blessings all around us.
So, dear church family, enjoy being chosen, enjoy maybe even being blessed at the last hour and being called from the byways and highways. But when we are invited let there be great appreciation and we express it by dressing up, having our wedding garment on which is more than just clothes. It is our spiritual attitudes and then we are ready for the banquet. Our God is a God of blessings and He uses the image of a banquet to remind us of Him blessing us. Of course, the banquet theme is continued so strongly and central in our relationship with the Lord as He invites us to the Last Supper over-and-over again. It is our Eucharistic Banquet in which we are participating in right now. Lots of time at home-goings I explain that after sitting at the banquet of the Word of God, which are encouraging and challenging words, then we are able to have the deep belief that the Bread becomes the Lord’s Body and the Wine becomes the Lord’s Blood and we are at the Last Supper with Jesus again. Jesus is just as much present with our deep faith in the Bread being the Lord’s Body and the Wine being the Lord’s Blood. Alleluia!
Enjoy Jesus blessing us especially with the theme Banquet and look at all the Banquet Blessings that come to you this week. Praise and thank God for them.
Love, Fr. Bob
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