The Parable of The Wedding Feast

Necessity of the Wedding Garment (on the Eucharist)

Disciple – Father, could you please explain to me the Parable of the Marriage Feast, and what happened to the man who was not wearing the wedding garment?

Master – Gladly. Listen, carefully.

The Gospel tells us that a king made a marriage for his son and wanted to celebrate it with a solemn ceremony, and prepared a great dinner for the occasion, inviting his relatives and friends.

Many neglected and went their ways. In view of this, the king said to his servants to go into the highways and call to the marriage as many as they found.

The marriage was filled with guests and the king went in to see the guests, and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he said to him: “Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment?” Then the king said to the waiters: “Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness.”

D. – Father, what is the meaning of the wedding garment that the poor wretched was not wearing, and why did they cast him to the darkness, if he was poor?

M. – This feast represents the Eucharist, that is, Holy Communion. The king that makes the feast to celebrate the wedding of his son, is the Eternal Father, the sun is Jesus Christ, who married our human nature. The guests are all men on earth.

This means that God has created us for Heaven, and that is why He invites everyone to go through the path of faith, charity, penance and Sacraments, but there are many who refuse to believe: they are the faithless; others offer excuses or pretexts; these are the sinners who put off their conversion; finally, others attend the feast, but without wearing a wedding garment; they are the sacrilegious (Editor’s note: for example, those who live as public sinners without converting, those who live together without being married, etc., who being in mortal sin receive Communion), represented in that wretched who has removed from the feast, bound and cast in the darkness.

D. – But, why did they force him to go to the feast?

M. – When he saw he was not worthy, he should have rejected the invitation and offer an excuse, or ask for forgiveness before entering.

It is very clear; if someone receives Communion in a state of mortal sin is in the same conditions of that poor wretched, and therefore in danger of being judged and condemned.

Besides, God Himself said it, through the Apostle Saint Paul: “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself.”…

Woe unto the soul in mortal sin that receives Holy Communion from the hands of the priest!... It will be a deadly poison to her.

On the contrary, blessed he who feeds on this Bread of Life, with a clean heart through an honest contrition and a good Confession; he shall receive blessings and graces, and Holy communion will be the pledge of the future glory.

D. –Are there many who receive Communion without wearing a wedding garment, that is, in mortal sin?

M. – Who can know the number? The truth is that, unfortunately, they abound, and in all social classes.

RECEIVE COMMUNION WELL!

Fr. José Luis Chiavarino