主題：穿上與婚宴相稱的禮服
古時候，經濟並不發達，大部份人都祗能節食縮食地生活。要知道在沒有糧食剩餘的時候，釀酒或者飼養牲口雞鴨，是不可能的。如果要大排筵席，一生恐怕祗能應付一次，惟有留給人生最大的事─結婚了。新郎新娘有如國王和王后一樣，享受款待。所以，耶穌在福音中，以「婚宴」象徵「天國」，因為再沒有更喜樂、更值得慶祝的場合了。今天在比喻中的婚宴，是國王為兒子所辦的婚宴。人生在世，恐怕一世人也未必有機會出現一次。因此，王子的婚禮，堪稱是「世紀婚禮」了；它的豪華和氣派，更是難以想像。
很奇怪，國王所邀請的客人，既然有幸參加這個「世紀婚禮」，為甚麼竟會不識抬舉，拒絕出席婚宴呢？難道耕田或者做自己的生意（瑪22:5），比出席國王的宴會更重要嗎？早前在網上流傳一位浙江的大富豪的婚宴，不但客人不用做人情，而且還送上二千元給每位來賓。說不定婚宴後，國王也會贈送禮物，比耕田的收穫更豐厚；或者在宴會上，結識多一些其他做生意的人，做成賺更多錢的大買賣。那些拒絕的人，實在太短視，祗顧目前的利益而錯過了長遠的利益，的確可惜！
更奇怪就是那些「捉住僕人，凌辱後殺死了」的客人了（22:6）。是甚麼事物令他們動了殺機呢？他們這樣做，或多或少已經揭露了他們從前也是做過傷天害理的事的惡人。僕人奉命傳話，極有可能無意中揭發了他們的惡行。所以他們老羞成怒，殺人滅口。正如若望宗徒所說：「的確，凡作惡的，都憎惡光明，也不來就光明，怕自己的行為彰顯出來。」（若3:20）因此，比喻中的國王會殲滅他們和焚毀他們的城市（瑪22:7）。這使我們聯想到舊約時代，天主「使硫磺和火，從天上上主那裡，降於索多瑪和哈摩辣，毀滅了這幾座城市和整個平原」的故事（創19:24-25）。所以，瑪竇福音這個寫作手法，暗示了國王就是天主。
正如上面曾提過，釀酒和飼養牲口是必須消耗大量糧食的。因此，沒有人出席已預備了的婚宴，是一件極其浪費的事。因此，國王命令僕人「出去到大路上，凡遇到的，無論壞人好人，都召集來。」（瑪22:10）目的是坐滿他預備了的婚宴。的確，在創世之前，天主已為我們預備好了永生的國度，讓我們分享祂的美善。神學家們就天主聖言的降生成人問題，曾作過一番辯論。辯題是：「倘若亞當沒有犯過罪，天主聖言會否降生成人呢？」這是一個十分複雜，牽涉到很多其他神學論題的課題，非三言兩語可以說明。但從這個比喻所提供的啟發，即使人類沒有犯罪，天主聖言也會降生成人，提昇我們的本質到超性的層次，分享天父的美善和永生。
話雖如此，要進入永生，也應該合符相稱的要求。且看故事之中，國王會巡視來坐席的客人（22:11）看見那些沒有穿婚宴禮服的人，便把他們趕出去（22:13）。請留意國王的語氣，很奇怪，他竟然稱呼那些沒有穿婚宴禮服的人為「朋友」。在瑪竇福音中，稱呼對方為「朋友」的場合，出現過三次：葡萄園主人對第一批工人，即那些不滿主人對最後一批工人同樣慷慨的人（20:13）；國王對沒穿禮服者（22:12）；最後，猶達斯親吻出賣耶穌時，耶穌對他說：「朋友，你來做的事，就做吧！」（26:50）在這三個場合，他們都做了虧欠主人、虧欠國王和虧欠耶穌的事。可是，主人、國王和耶穌仍以慈悲之心對待他們，稱他們為朋友，為他們拒絕天主的寬仁而難過，給予他們應得的報應。
那麼，你們認為甚麼是「相稱的禮服」呢？
第一批工人不知道工錢是一個「德納」嗎？沒有穿禮服的人不知道要穿禮服赴宴的嗎？猶達斯不知道出賣耶穌是錯的嗎？他們全都知道，而且在若望福音有這樣的記載：「我稱你們為朋友，因為凡由我父聽來的一切，我都顯示給你們了。」（若15:15） 所以，他們都是知道的，不容他們抵賴的。
是到裁縫師傅，度身訂造一件過萬元的「三件頭」禮服嗎？當然不是。而是我們在世所修煉的成聖德行。帶著這些德行去到天主台前，它們就是我們的禮服。有七個德行可以使我們堪當出席天主的婚宴：它們就是三個「超性之德」和「四樞德」。我們可以透過祈禱、讀經、領聖事和幫助貧困來培養信、望、愛三個「超性之德」。又可以在日常生活中，彼此相愛、寬恕迫害、宣揚福音和度澹泊的生活，來建立本性的智、義、勇、節「四樞德」。有這「七件頭」禮服，便不愁會被天主趕出天國的婚宴了。
天主保祐！
Twenty Eighth Ordinary Sunday (Year A)
Theme: Put on an Appropriate Wedding Garment
In ancient times when the economy was not prosperous, most people led an austere life. If there was no spare food, wine distillery, cattle and poultry keeping were impossible. People would reserve a banquet to the most important event in a life time --- marriage. Brides and grooms were treated like kings and queens. Thus, Jesus used a wedding banquet to symbolize the Kingdom of Heaven because there was no event more joyful and worth celebrating than marriage. In the parable today, the king gave a wedding feast for his son. That probably would not happen more than once in a life time of a person. It was truly a "wedding of the century". Its luxury and glamour would be difficult to imagine.
Strangely, why would some invited guests ungratefully refuse to attend this "wedding of the century"? Was going off to his farm or to his business (Matthew 22:5) more important than going to the king's banquet? Some time ago, a rich man in Zhejiang showered money in a wedding banquet. Not only was it unnecessary for the guests to buy gifts, each one of them was given ¥2000 afterwards. Perhaps the king would also showered gifts more valuable than produces from the ground, or perhaps you made connections with other business men and struck gold. What a pity that these guests were so short-sighted.
Even more unthinkable were those who "seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them." (22:6) What was their motive? Somehow their actions indicated that they were wicked people and had done evil before. In proclaiming the invitation, the servants might have inadvertently discovered their evil acts. Thus they became furious and murdered to silence them. Just like what John says, "For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." (John 3:20) Thus, in the parable, "The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city." (Matthew 22:7) This reminds us of what God did in the Old Testament. "Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground." (Genesis 19:24-25) Matthew wrote in this way to suggest that the king was God.
As mentioned above, wine distillery and cattle keeping consume a lot of food. Thus, it would be a big waste if nobody attended a wedding banquet. Therefore, the king placed an order. "And all those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests." (Matthew 22:10) The aim was to fill the hall. Indeed, even before the creation of the universe, God has already prepared for us the kingdom of eternal life to let us share His goodness. Theologians have debated over the question of incarnation. The question was put in this way, "If Adam had not sinned, would the Word of God incarnate?" This is an extremely complex topic involving many theological topics and cannot be explained in a few words. However, this parable suggests that even if men had not sinned, the Word of God would incarnate in order to elevate us to the supernatural life to partake in the goodness and eternal life of the Father.
Despite this, we should meet certain requirements in order to enter eternal life. In the parable, "the king came in to look at the guests (22:11) and kicked out those who did not have a wedding garment." (22:13) I want to draw your attention to the tone of the king. Strangely, he called the man without a wedding garment "Friend". In the gospel of Matthew, there are three occasions in which a party addresses the other party "friend": the householder of the vineyard to the first batch of workers who were upset about the generosity of the householder to the last batch of workers (20:13), the king to the man without a wedding garment (22:12) and lastly, when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, Jesus says, "Friend, why are you here?" (26:50) In these three occasions, they owed the householder, the king and Jesus everything! But the householder, the king and Jesus still treated them with mercy, called them "friend", felt sad that they rejected God's mercy and gave them what they deserved.
Did the first batch of workers not know that the wage was one denarius? Did the one who had no wedding garment not know that they should put on a wedding garment to the banquet? Did Judas not know that betraying Jesus was wrong? Of course they knew. John wrote, "But I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) Thus, they all knew and could not deny.
What do you think is a "suitable wedding garment"?
Is it a tailor-made over $10,000 three piece suits? Of course not. Rather, it should be the virtues we practise for sanctification. When we bring these virtues before God, they are our wedding garments. There are seven such virtues which make us worth joining the wedding feast of God. They are the three theological virtues and the four cardinal virtues. We can build up the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity with our daily prayers, bible studies, sacraments and helping the needy. In our daily life, we can also love one another, forgive persecutions, evangelize and lead a simple life to build up the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. With these "seven piece suits", we don't have to worry about God kicking us out of the banquet.
God bless!
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