9781644135945

The Time After Pentecost
own way, disregarding the invitation of the King. The besetting sin of our day is indifference.
Men speak, write, and rule without Christ, without God. The world is emancipated from its
God; it is godless. Men have lost their supernatural center and have turned to what is not God.
Indeed, many even actively preach and promote hatred of God and Christ. What a privilege, if
we understand the intentions of God, is this invitation to the marriage feast! What a grace to
be allowed to enter into so intimate a union with Christ, the spouse of the soul!
“Come ye to the marriage.” The wedding feast of the King is presented to us Catholics at
the time of Holy Communion. Holy Communion is essentially a wedding feast. Its object is to
establish a unity of love between ourselves and Christ and the other members of His Church.
Its end is our living, fruitful growth in Christ, the vine. At Holy Communion the Lord is the
sole spouse of our soul, yielding Himself up with the most complete and intimate surrender to
us, embracing our soul and penetrating our very essence. This wedding feast rejoices, consoles,
and strengthens us every morning anew and inflames us with fervent mutual love: love for love,
heart for heart, sacrifice for sacrifice. We know that today is our wedding day, and tomorrow
is our wedding day. But not all understand this word, but only they to whom it is given (Mt
19:11). Many Catholics, unfortunately despise this wedding feast “and [go] their ways, one to his
farm, and another to his merchandise.” They do not understand that Communion is a wedding
banquet of the King; they have other interests. We on our part must, therefore, welcome the
invitation of Jesus the more eagerly.
The incarnation of the Son of God and Holy Communion were both prepared for us by the King
who makes a wedding feast for His Son. We are the ones invited to the marriage. We accept the
invitation every day with still deeper faith, with greater appreciation and deeper humility, with
more fervent love. Let it never be said of us: “They neglected, and went their ways.” Daily we
must work for the renewal of our spirit and mind that we may put on the new man, that we may
appear, at the wedding banquet in the “wedding garment” of grace, virtue, love, and holiness.
Prayer
Almighty and merciful God, in Thy loving kindness shield us from all adversity, that being
prepared in soul and body, we may with free minds perform the works that are Thine. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thursday
“The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king who made a marriage for his son” (Gospel). The
King, God the Father, sends His Son into the world that He may become our spouse. The union
is fulfilled most perfectly in a union of love effected through Holy Communion, when we are
bodily united with Him and He with us.
“He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me and I in him” ( Jn 6:57). The
primary object of this union with the flesh and blood of Christ is the union of spirit and heart.
From the mouth to the heart! Such a sublime union should result in an intimate union of body
and spirit in a union of love. The Lord, therefore, nourishes us with the bread of the Eucharist
that He may lower Himself to our level and fill us with His spirit. In this way our spirit should be
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