As we draw close to the end of the liturgical year, Matthew begins to expose some eschatolgical realities. The journey that Matthew has taken us on began with a litany of the genealogy of the House of David, detailed some miracles, challenged the religious elite, and will end at the cross. All the while Matthew is talking to Jewish-turned-Christian audience, he is also speaking to us today. Matthew is helping us understand a relationship that we as individuals have with Jesus Christ; but mostly how we are as a Church. The Body of Christ, the Church, is the sign and symbol of salvation in the World.
So we come into the Church through Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. When we are Baptized into the Body of Christ we take on a new relationship with God through Christ Jesus. More so as members of the Church we are stewards of the covenant and we continue to cultivate the Word of God, unfolding the Kingdom of God before the world.
After we have water poured over us, the priest or deacon anoints us with chrism, and then we receive a white garment of some sort. The ritual reminds us that we have put on Christ. Through our faith and faithfulness we are to bring this white garment with us into the eternal banquet which lasts forever. Please note her that Saint Paul shares with us that Christ Jesus calls us while we are sinners, and makes us worthy through the Paschal Mystery. In today's Gospel we might feel sorry for the guy without the wedding garment- after all he is doing the king a favor just by showing up.
Actually it is our God who does us the favor by giving us every good thing and continually blessing us with grace and goodness. We are made in the image and likeness of God and are called to maintain that same dignity throughout our lives. So we live according to the covenant and practice the faith that has been shared with us.
As an aside, we sometimes have folks who want to say some "words" at a funeral of a parent or friend. Usually we discover what a saintly life they lived because they were very nice. In a few weeks we will read that it is more than niceties that connect us to God.
Our baptismal garment should be well worn as we engage in charity and live lives of chastity. The concerns of justice and peace are our concerns as well. We can point to where our garment has been torn because we climbed down into the ditch to help someone, or we fended off oppressors and evil-doers. That is the challenge of the baptismal garment.
On the holy mountain of God a lot is expected of us. But for those who are faithful to the task, a lot is received.
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