CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION AND SAINT AGNES
  • Welcome
    • Newcomers
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • How to Find Us
  • Who We Are
    • Our History
    • Parish Staff
    • Vestry
    • The Episcopal Church >
      • Episcopal Diocese of Washington
      • Episcopal News Service
  • Worship
    • Re-Gathering During COVID-19
    • Daily Office
    • Compline
    • Sermons
  • Formation
    • Children's Formation
    • Adult Theology
    • Adult Theology Archive
  • Connect
    • Pastoral Care >
      • Aging Gracefully
      • Prayer Requests
    • Stewardship >
      • Givelify Instructions
      • Planned Giving
      • Endowment Fund
    • Dare to Hope Blog
    • From the Desk of the Rector >
      • Pastoral Letter
      • Weekly Letter
      • Annual Meeting
    • Contact us
  • Outreach
  • Upcoming Adult Theology
  • Baptism

the guest has no clothes

10/15/2017

0 Comments

 
​This Sunday, we continue our reading of Matthew's gospel, 22:1-14. Like last week's gospel, there is more killing of servants-this time, when they are sent to gather the guests for the king's banquet. In the end, the doors are thrown wide open to anyone who would like to attend, but one guest comes ill-prepared. "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?" the king asks. The poor fellow is then bound and cast into the darkness. Had I been there, I would have said, "Relax on the dress code!" or "You could have just asked him to leave." Bizarrely excessive, n'est-ce pas?
 
The audience is particularly important to situate. Jesus is addressing the chief priests and elders, entrusted an important responsibility regarding the Chosen People, who have transformed authority (which is service of the common good) into power (which is control of the common good). I believe Jesus is addressing the issue of presumption and attitudes of entitlement. The wedding robe symbolizes the appropriate inner attitude in one invited to the celebration of God. What is the appropriate inner attitude? It would seem: awe and humble gratitude. None of us has a right to God, to Jesus. The invitation is gratuitous...
 
The expulsion of the guest does not suggest that God is prone to bursts of rage. It reveals the Father's vulnerability with respect to the Son, Whom He gives to us. "For God so loved the world that He gave his only son." (John 3:16). When you give what is dearest to you, you are vulnerable. And, if ever someone takes the gift for granted and/or presumes the gift is theirs, you are understandably hurt and angered. The expulsion of the inappropriately dressed fellow reveals that there is no room for anything unloving in the presence of the One who is love.
 
What is our inner attitude regarding the encounter and celebration of Christ? Do we come to church and seek Him with awe and humble gratitude? We are talking about attitudes not emotions. It is not about feeling awe and gratitude. It is about focusing the eyes of one's heart in faith so as to know that God is awesome. Ask God to reveal Himself to you. Yearn for divine intimacy. Awe and humble gratitude will emerge...
 
 
With you in our Lord,
 
Fr. Dominique
Rector
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    From the desk of the Rector
    #12thandMass

    Picture
    If you are unable to read the notes, clear your browser's cache, reload the browser, and try again.  You can also try using Chrome for your browser.
    ​

    Author

    Father Dominique 

    Archives

    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

✜ Contact ✜
Church of the Ascension and Saint Agnes,
[Church]
1215 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
[Parish Office]
1219 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,
​Washington, DC 20005
202 347 8161
Email
​​✜ Social Media ✜
​Facebook
Twitter
YouTube

Newsletter
​
✜ Resources ✜
About Us
Directions
Giving
  • Welcome
    • Newcomers
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • How to Find Us
  • Who We Are
    • Our History
    • Parish Staff
    • Vestry
    • The Episcopal Church >
      • Episcopal Diocese of Washington
      • Episcopal News Service
  • Worship
    • Re-Gathering During COVID-19
    • Daily Office
    • Compline
    • Sermons
  • Formation
    • Children's Formation
    • Adult Theology
    • Adult Theology Archive
  • Connect
    • Pastoral Care >
      • Aging Gracefully
      • Prayer Requests
    • Stewardship >
      • Givelify Instructions
      • Planned Giving
      • Endowment Fund
    • Dare to Hope Blog
    • From the Desk of the Rector >
      • Pastoral Letter
      • Weekly Letter
      • Annual Meeting
    • Contact us
  • Outreach
  • Upcoming Adult Theology
  • Baptism