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militant here on earth and of the Church triumphant
in heaven. All alas ! do not respond as they should
to the divine call; some, such as the Jews, refuse to
enter the Church militant and thus deprive themselves
of their share in the triumph ; others, such as bad
Christians, after having become members of the Church,
do not persevere in the service of God, thus running
great risk of losing their share of eternal happiness in
the Church triumphant.
If we would be admitted to the marriage feast we must
wear a wedding garment, under penalty of being ex
cluded from the banquet hall, and of being cast into
exterior darkness as happened to the unhappy man in
the parable. This wedding garment represents faith
without which no one can be admitted into the Church,
and next it typifies all those Christian virtues with
out which we cannot persevere in our union with
God. Saint Paul in his Epistle to the faithful of Ephesus
read at this Sunday s Mass, explains the meaning of
the nuptial garment necessary for admission to the mar
riage feast. We must, says the Apostle, put on Christ,
or the new man who is created in justice and holiness.
We must labour to cast off our evil inclinations and
our bad habits, and to put on the spirit of Christ which
is the true wedding garment and the indispensable ador
nment of souls who would enter the kingdom of
heaven.
In the Collect of the Mass the Church implores for
her children the divine assistance by means of which
all obstacles are overcome. The soul thus set free
from her difficulties, finds it easy carry out the divine
will. In the Secret she prays that through the sacred
Victim offered on the altar, her children may receive
all graces necessary for salvation. In the Postcom-