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Today’s readings center around food and the connection between the hunger we feel in our bellies and the hunger we can and should have for heaven. Isaiah describes paradise as a banquet of “juicy, rich food and pure choice wine.” God, he says, will provide it “for all people”, which is a bit of a good news/bad news situation. Good news because everyone is invited to attend, bad news because even our enemies and the people we judge to be unworthy are also welcome at the same table. In other words, God wants the people who voted for Trump and the people who voted for Biden to be saved; the people who drink coke and the others drinking Pepsi are all invited to the same heavenly banquet! Now whether any of them actually attend is up to each individual, but our readings are clear: all are invited!
Such an image appeals to all of us in some way; especially if you are like me and love to eat! The idea of abundance, with massive tables of fine food and drink, something for every taste, and everyone coming together as family for a leisurely meal is the hallmark of a good time in any culture and every age. But our love for food and drink is something that must be cultivated and developed. Most of us start with a very narrow list of things we eat. Every parent has experienced this truth as they try to expand their child’s palate from chicken nuggets, pizza, and french fries. For those picky eaters, going to the finest Michelin-starred establishments, and the offer of Kobe Beef, hand-made sushi, or French patisserie would be nothing but torture.
I can relate to this when it comes to alcohol. I never developed a taste for liquor and when someone offers me fine scotch, bourbon, or whiskey, one sip makes me want to pour the whole thing down the drain, no matter how much it costs. Most of us have some food or drink we declare as our favorite and we also have a few we do not like, even after giving it a try. Fortunately there is great variety in the world of food and we are blessed to be able to pick and choose what we want.
However, there is one taste which we all must acquire during our lifetime. If we do not, it will be a tragedy because this craving is the only one which ultimately matters. This flavor, this hunger, is the one we have for God and the things that lead to him. Like our earthy cravings for food and drink, the desire for God must be cultivated and expanded deliberately and thoughtfully. While something in us is naturally attracted to the Lord, we are easily distracted and often attached to what is easy and quick.
As Jesus offers this image of a happy banquet, open to all, he also introduces a somber detail. He understands our human nature and how often we reject the good things God offers. He knows that many people will ignore his invitation and refuse to enter the feast. The parable does not tell us exactly why some make that choice, although we hear their excuses which are pretty flimsy. We are left to wonder. Do they harbor some resentment against the king? Do they consider themselves superior to the other wedding guests? Do they feel they have more important things to do? Is it the food itself which does not appeal to them? We do not know. The horrible thing is that, by a series of decisions, they have built up a palate which cannot be satisfied by the Lord’s feast. His food does not sound appetizing to them. They have failed to form the one craving which matters – the taste for God.
Today’s parable invites us to reflect on the tastes we are developing. It matters little whether we have a preference for meat, vegetables, sweets, or any other food. But it will make a huge difference if we become attracted to sin and vice, the junk food of the soul. Things like revenge, hatred, greed, deceit, impurity, jealousy and the many other menu items that make us spiritually unhealthy and malnourished. At every moment and with each choice, we are either drawing nearer to God or pulling further away from him. We can look at our decisions this way: Is what I am thinking, doing, or saying helping me acquire a craving for God? Or is it making me want the very opposite of what God has prepared for me?
Very often, our problem is not that our desires and hungers are too great for what God offers; instead, they are too small. We struggle to believe that God can satisfy so we fix our attention on lesser things which taste sweet but make our soul hurt. And if God, in his mercy, deprives us of these unhealthy things, or commands us to stay away from them, we accuse him of being unfair or unloving. But this is not true. He has prepared the richest possible banquet for us. And part of us knows what God offers is actually what we want. We must trust God and let go of the wretched stuff we keep grasping and consuming, thinking it will take away our hunger for happiness and meaning. God made us for himself and as St. Augustine famously said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God”!
The wonderful news in these readings is that very little is required of us compared to what we receive. God provides everything, even the wedding garment that each person should wear. Through baptism and the sacraments, through Scripture and Tradition, through the guidance of the church and abundance of his grace, God makes us worthy to be at his table and delight in what he offers. The one thing we have that he cannot make or take, is our “yes”. He waits for us to choose him; once we do, we will have more than we could ever want.
So let us choose him. Today, tomorrow, and every day we find ourselves on this earth until we are ushered into the eternal feast which is being prepared for all those who love Him!
