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I totally followed along in today’s Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14)… up until verse 11. I get the whole people rejected God’s invite so He invited everybody else part. But then God kicks some poor guy out because He’s not dressed up?
Wait where’s that unending mercy thing?
But then it hit me: I’ve heard of Mass being a foretaste of heaven, and this must be where we get that from – that’s why there are so many people who are concerned with how you’re dressed when you come to Mass.
Okay, in reality, Mass is a bit of heaven, but that’s not the reason why.
I think Jesus wants us to be less concerned with what people wear (I know, I’ve talked about this before, but now I’ve got Scripture to help! Yay Word!).
In Luke 11: 37 and onwards, Jesus is dining with a Pharisee, and the he is surprised that Jesus doesn’t follow the rules for washing. Then in verse 39 Jesus lays it out for him:
“The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.”
The same goes for our clothes at Mass. Yes, we could all dress better for Mass as we are celebrating a Sacrament – we are receiving Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. But if we’re dressed for the occasion but are distracted by others who aren’t, does our clothing then hide something?
I believe that Jesus wants us to come to Mass intentionally, and if our hearts and minds are pointed to the Eucharist, that means more to God than the clothes we wear. If we make it a habit of going to Reconciliation for our serious sins before coming to Mass, that makes our inner self more dressed up than a bride on her wedding day.
After Reconciliation, we are the best version of ourselves. Maybe that’s what we should think about when we want to put on our “Sunday Best.”
Oh, and in case you’re still wondering why God is kicking someone out of heaven because of how they’re dressed, He’s not. The clothes symbolizes the man’s righteous deeds (or lack thereof).
