Our Gospel this weekend seems, once again, to be a severe punishment being rendered. When no one came to the king’s celebration of his son’s wedding, he sent his troops into the byways to bring in guests … we can’t help but imagine some, at least, were brought in forcibly. And then someone is bound and thrown out for not wearing the proper garment? Ouch!

But let’s look deeper, as this is a parable, and in every parable Jesus is teaching something.

Are you ready for the ultimate wedding feast, the welcome into the Eternal Banquet of Heaven?

I think that is really the central point of Jesus’ teaching today; be ready, at all times, to be the servant of God. We heard the message a few weeks ago, “… let the dead bury the dead …” in references to being strong enough and committed enough to be a disciple.

For some of us, it is far easier to be a Catholic on Sunday than the rest of the week; we might feel that attending Mass satisfies the command to keep holy the Lord’s Day, and technically, it does. But that is not enough. You and I must be ready at any time to be called to Eternal Life.

Please, don’t take that as a message filled with doom and gloom.  It is actually a glorious hope! We have all probably heard the polite/happy exchange between people: “What a great day to be alive!” “You’re right! It’s better than the alternative!” And we laugh together at the joke.

But is it? Don’t we, as chosen followers of Jesus actually yearn for “… the alternative?” I hope so! For Jesus, however, His teaching emphasized the “both-and” understanding of this teaching.  Yes, we yearn for Heaven, but we also are invited to be filled with joy in this life on earth (John 15:11).

So make yourself ready for Heaven now; go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation if you haven’t been in a while. Practice witnessing the Gospel on Tuesday and Wednesday, too, not just on Sunday. When we live every day according to the Gospel, as disciples filled with Jesus’ joy, then we will in fact make every day sacred. We will have clothed ourselves in the wedding garment of our Baptism!