On the 11th Sunday of Luke, Fr. Matthew preaches about the parable of the heavenly banquet, connecting it to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19). He poses the question: What event or invitation would cause you to rearrange your life? He shares answers from his family and himself, which include weekends with Taylor Swift and the first liturgy on the moon. He talks about the specialness of invitations that wanes when an event is not rare or scarce, but challenges everyone to remember how special the invitation to the Divine Liturgy actually is. Along the way, he references dinner with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace; imagines what is served at the heavenly banquet; and reminds us that WE choose not to attend, partake of, or commune with divine life.
Previous Homilies for the Gospel Reading for the 11th Sunday of Luke:
- December 15, 2024 – “We Must Live from Liturgy to Liturgy” – On the Parable of the Heavenly Banquet
- December 17, 2023 – Literally the Most Important Meal of the Week, and the Most Important Food of Your Life
- December 11, 2022 – The Soul’s Espousal to Christ
Colossians 3:4-11
Brethren, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.
Luke 14:16-24
The Lord said this parable: “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'”