I must admit, I have a hard time reading this gospel without smiling. It might be one of the strangest readings ever read at a Wedding, but it was such a crucial part of my spiritual journey through Creighton it didn't feel right to now include it as one of the focal points in the ceremony. I love that this Gospel is highlighted right at the beginning of the season and if I am not mistaken it will not be the only time we read it this less. Maybe not Matthew's version but the message rings clear. The phrase that stood out this most to me today when I read these readings is a key part of the central message that I hadn't focused on before:
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
The second line, "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." reminds me of the call from the second Vatican council to build and foster the kingdom of God here during our time on Earth. Now this is a calling that is deeply embedded throughout all the gospels and NT/OT readings, but it is amazing how radical or liberal the call can seem. What I feel is different about this phrase is that we "inherit" the kingdom God envisioned for us. If we spend our time working against God's vision, what happen's to the kingdom. I don't think it is a mistake that this reading is coupled with the Genesis deliverance of the ten commandments. The rules and guidance God delivered to the Isrealites transformed into this vision Christ creates for the poor. Being righteous is no longer focused on obeying laws, but rather it is about caring for the kingdom, fostering the poor and providing for the hopeless. This becomes the new mission for God's people, a mission that cannot be done a lot. I think Lent calls us to reconnect with this Christian vision, to remove the temptations and distractions that inhibit us from fostering this kingdom.
You chose well, this reading for your wedding and you so visibly demonstrate in the way you live your lives in your work. You are what the church calls a Sacramental couple to be!
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