Twenty-eighth Sunday
in Ordinary Time
Reflections on Isaiah 25:6-10A/ Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6/ Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20/ Matthew 22:1-14
The REAL SOIL OF JERUSALEM
by Frank D. B. Savadera, SJ
There is a story that
I’ve picked up from one my readings. A farmer who owned
vast tracks of land in Jerusalem (a place which is almost a desert; a place where
it is difficult to farm and grow trees and plants). But this person was a diligent farmer and
because of this, he got rich, super rich.
This farmer was a good person, a good family man, a good husband to his
wife and good father to his children. He
tilled the soil and was also a good employer to his workers; an honest
businessman, very religious and faithful. God indeed blessed him with
aplenty. He loved his city Jerusalem
very much. This was where he learned a
lot in life. This is where he found
deeper faith. Jerusalem is where he
established his family and lived a truly blessed life. But then, he was getting
older and he knew his last days will come.
Thus, in his last will he wrote: "When I die, I only have one request. Allow me to ascend to the Father with the soil of Jerusalem in my hands. I want to die with the soil of my beloved Jerusalem in my hands." Thus, when he died, his close of kin acceded to his last wish.
At the gates of
heaven, there he saw Saint Peter smiling at him saying: "Your name my good farmer of Jerusalem is written in the books of heaven. You may now
enter the pearly gates and receive your eternal reward." As the farmer was about to step in, Saint
Peter noticed something he was holding in his hands. Can we guess
what? He was holding the soil of Jerusalem in his hands. "Oooops ... Saint Peter stopped the farmer. "You cannot enter heaven with that soil in your hand," Saint Peter quips. "But this is my beloved Jerusalem," the farmer rebuts. "Oh no," Saint Peter says, "Think about it first. Unless you leave that soil behind, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven."
The good farmer was troubled. "How can I leave my beloved Jerusalem behind? The land had been very kind to me. With the land comes great memories of my life and my loved ones." But then, Paradise calls. After days of crying out loud outside the gates of heaven, the farmer approached the front of the pearly gates, dropped the soil behind him and walked toward the city Saint Peter was asking him to see. Waaah! He said: It's my beloved Jerusalem!
Our LIVES ARE GEARED TOWARD A REAL FACE TO FACE ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD. This is our GOAL,
direction and END. And as proto-Isaiah (1-39) would stress, this is what we are to await ALL the days of our lives. "Behold our God, to whom we KAVAH (waited) looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we (waited) looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
Most of us have not
seen God (?) … yet this experience is what we try to SIMULATE in our prayer and worship. Isn’t it true that praying the way we do in
community sometimes allows our spirits to be pulled away and pulled out of our
bodies toward an experience that is indeed heavenly. Isn’t it true that there is such a thing as a
REAL and GENUINE DESIRE to ultimately come face to face with God? Precisely
because our lives are geared toward that final and ultimate encounter with the
Lord, that challenge is to let go of things that we think is second best. Question:
What prevents us from becoming the BEST PERSONS God wants us to be? Yes … we say SIN! Not quite so!
What prevents us from becoming the BEST PERSON is settling with what is
SIMPLY GOOD. Good is good but it is not
the BEST!
WHAT IS THIS FINAL
ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD ABOUT? The
imagery provided us in scriptures is that of a BANQUET. The LORD prepares a HOUSE and a BANQUET for
us. The LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples
a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice
wines. Wow! What an image of
eternal life! A TEASER/ A COME ON to help us aspire as our Psalmist today wished: I
shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
The general feeling I
have, given this imagery is that of JOY and CONTENTMENT. Being in the banquet of the Lord is an
invitation to a JOYFUL, HAPPY and CONTENTED LIFE. Are we EVER HAPPY, JOYFUL and CONTENTED? Are
we? WE HAVE A VOCATION TO BE HAPPY IN
LIFE. We have to know what truly makes
us happy? There is SOMETHING VERY SAD ABOUT A PERSON WHO
SOMEHOW GETS TO HURT OTHERS consciously or unconsciously. This is not HAPPY. This is SAD, LONELY and SELF-ISOLATING. We HAVE A VOCATION TO BE HAPPY! This is what it means when we say THE LORD IS
PREPARING A HOUSE AND BANQUET FOR US.
And if we are HAPPY... and GLAD already in this life ... what the Lord
is preparing for us SURPASSES everything that we can experience here and
now. HAPPY ARE WE … BLESSED ARE WE WHO ARE INVITED TO HIS BANQUET (not
SAD, not SELFISH, ... HAPPY ARE WE WHO ARE INVITED TO HIS BANQUET). DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SOME OF US CANNOT BE
HAPPY ... AS IF THERE IS NO HAPPINESS IN THIS LIFE. How do they expect to experience ETERNAL
HAPPINESS if they have no notion of HAPPINESS in the first place. The LORD prepares a HOUSE and a BANQUET for
us ... WE HAVE A VOCATION TO BE HAPPY (hopefully not at the expense of others).
CHARLIE BROWN asks us to be happy about the simplest things: "Happiness is
finding a pencil ... telling the time ... learning to whistle ... tying your
shoes for the very first time.
Happiness is morning and evening, Daytime and night time too. For
happiness is anyone and anything at all ... That’s loved by you."
Lastly, from the Gospel today, we picked up the following lines: 'My friend,
how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced
to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and
cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of
teeth.’ Not only is LIFE GEARED TOWARD
ETERNITY, NOT ONLY ARE WE BEING CONSTANTLY INVITED TO GOD’S BANQUET … WE ALSO NEED TO COOPERATE and RECEIVE GOD’S
UNIQUE INVITATION.
Our reflections thus summarized: Our LIVES ARE GEARED/ DIRECTED TOWARD A REAL
FACE TO FACE ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD.
HAPPY ARE WE … BLESSED ARE WE WHO ARE INVITED TO HIS
BANQUET. WE HAVE A VOCATION TO BE HAPPY.
CONSTANTLY DISCERNING HOW I, given the life that I live
COOPERATE and RECEIVE GOD’S UNIQUE INVITATION.
