The Wedding Feast
At the Sacrament Retreat, this is the third and last Parable that is presented. The reason is because this is the hardest parable to analyze and teach to the children. When I introduced parables I had told the children that Jesus had three purposes to teach using these parables. The first was to teach how to treat your neighbor and that was discovered in the Good Samaritan. The second was to teach how to pray and that was captured in the Insistent Friend parable. The third reason Jesus taught these parables was to teach us how to get to heaven and how some people reject the call.
When I start this presentation, I always ask, "How many of you have been to a wedding?" Most often they have and I say, "Then you wore your very best clothes. You would never have gone there dirty or with holes in your clothes as that would be an insult to the Bride and Groom's family who worked so hard to make the preparations and get the food ready so that it would be beautiful for everyone. I show them the King and explain that he is giving a wedding to his son. I place the other figures in the white robes for the children to see. These other people have come to the wedding and as they have traveled so far by foot or donkey, it was customary for them to bath in a communal bath and dress in the beautiful robes provided by the King. (The figure in the green robe I keep in the basket until he is introduced in the Bible Story.)
I take the children back to the Good Shepherd parable when I ask them, "Who is Jesus in this story and who are the sheep?" "What is the Sheepfold?" They know these answers and so I tell them I'm going to give them a clue because they already understand that the Sheepfold is either Heaven or the Church. So the clue is that the Wedding Banquet Hall represents "Heaven." I ask them to think about this carefully as I read the parable to them.
After reading the scripture I tell them that there are some different groups in this story who make very different choices. So I ask, "Who are the people in the robes who have come to the wedding?" I get some interesting answers, like "Angels and Saints." Then I ask "Who are the people who refuse to come?" One answer was, "They are sheep outside the sheepfold." I was pleased with that answer as they refer back to the "Good Shepherd" parable to understand. So "Yes," I say, "They are maybe people who don't believe in God (atheists) and no one has ever told them about Jesus. They could be people who just don't want to go to mass because their faith isn't very strong. They could also be people of other faiths who go to other churches. But then the King says, 'Go out into the byroads and invite the good as well as the bad.' Do you remember in the Good Samaritan that he had compassion? Jesus has compassion and he forgives all who come and ask forgiveness. So if the bad come and put on the new garment, then they are ready to take the next step and begin to follow their faith. They are ready to shed their old life of sin. Then who is the person in the green garment who will not speak to the King or change into the new garment. But why then has he come?" One answer surprised me, a boy said that this was the devil.
I tell the children that this man isn't ready to follow the Ten Commandments or the Maxims, words of Jesus on how to live his life. He is not ready to give up his old ways. All he has to do is say, "Dear God, I'm sorry for my sins," and he will be welcomed. But he is not ready. When he is, the Lord will receive him with great rejoicing.
I say to the children that this is a special year for you all because you will be putting on a new garment and after saying that you are sorry for your sins in the sacrament of Reconciliation. When you girls wear your beautiful white dresses and the boys wear their white shirts, ties, pressed pants and polished shoes, you are making a big change in your faith and now belong to the church family. I also tell them how happy the people in the church are to see them receive the Blessed Sacrament. They will watch them grow up by being altar servers, receiving Confirmation, joining choir or becoming a lector. You will join the teen group and later graduate from high school and the parish will celebrate with you. So the church family celebrates you and they will be watching and appreciating with joy.
This is my favorite parable and I always save it to last at the Sacrament Retreat because it is so rich in spiritual meaning.
After reading the scripture I tell them that there are some different groups in this story who make very different choices. So I ask, "Who are the people in the robes who have come to the wedding?" I get some interesting answers, like "Angels and Saints." Then I ask "Who are the people who refuse to come?" One answer was, "They are sheep outside the sheepfold." I was pleased with that answer as they refer back to the "Good Shepherd" parable to understand. So "Yes," I say, "They are maybe people who don't believe in God (atheists) and no one has ever told them about Jesus. They could be people who just don't want to go to mass because their faith isn't very strong. They could also be people of other faiths who go to other churches. But then the King says, 'Go out into the byroads and invite the good as well as the bad.' Do you remember in the Good Samaritan that he had compassion? Jesus has compassion and he forgives all who come and ask forgiveness. So if the bad come and put on the new garment, then they are ready to take the next step and begin to follow their faith. They are ready to shed their old life of sin. Then who is the person in the green garment who will not speak to the King or change into the new garment. But why then has he come?" One answer surprised me, a boy said that this was the devil.
I tell the children that this man isn't ready to follow the Ten Commandments or the Maxims, words of Jesus on how to live his life. He is not ready to give up his old ways. All he has to do is say, "Dear God, I'm sorry for my sins," and he will be welcomed. But he is not ready. When he is, the Lord will receive him with great rejoicing.
I say to the children that this is a special year for you all because you will be putting on a new garment and after saying that you are sorry for your sins in the sacrament of Reconciliation. When you girls wear your beautiful white dresses and the boys wear their white shirts, ties, pressed pants and polished shoes, you are making a big change in your faith and now belong to the church family. I also tell them how happy the people in the church are to see them receive the Blessed Sacrament. They will watch them grow up by being altar servers, receiving Confirmation, joining choir or becoming a lector. You will join the teen group and later graduate from high school and the parish will celebrate with you. So the church family celebrates you and they will be watching and appreciating with joy.
This is my favorite parable and I always save it to last at the Sacrament Retreat because it is so rich in spiritual meaning.
