Saint Andrew Russian Greek Catholic Church

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The Church begins to prepare us in earnest for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ with today’s commemoration of the Holy Forefathers of Christ, that is, the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Testament, from Adam to John the Baptist, with particular attention being given to the Prophet Daniel and the three young men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who, thrown into the furnace for refusing to worship the image of King Nebuchadnezzar, were miraculously saved from death.   

The Gospel reading today is the Parable of the Great Banquet and issues an invitation to each of us to “come, for all is now ready” for the Birth of the Messiah.  In the Epistle reading for today, Saint Paul teaches us that “when Christ who is our life appears, then we also will appear with him in glory.” 

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"