The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

15 FEBRUARY (Mt 9,14-15)

The banquet, especially the wedding one, among the Jews was a sign of great fellowship, brotherhood and true life. The true relationship with God and with men is designed from the image of the banquet. David imagines to be so full of God, just as he thinks himself sated with food. The fullness of the body is given by food. The fullness of the soul is given by God.

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your loving kindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth. They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes. But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.(Psalm 64 (63) 1-12).

Isaiah presents eternity with the image of the banquet. Life after death is a perpetual feast. You will live forever in joyful conviviality, almost of eternal rapture.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples A feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, The web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; The reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken. On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain, but Moab will be trodden down as a straw is trodden down in the mire. He will stretch forth his hands in Moab as a swimmer extends his hands to swim; He will bring low their pride as his hands sweep over them. The high-walled fortress he will raze, and strike it down level with the earth, with the very dust. (Is 25,6-12).

Jesus uses the image of the banquet to help John’s disciples not to be scandalized for the fact that his disciples did not fast. Sometimes you cannot reveal why certain decisions and certain ways of living that are different than what is commonly experienced. However, in these cases, a lot of intelligence and wisdom are needed to remove the scandal from the minds and hearts of the observers.

We are all special observers. All could take offence by our “abnormal” behavior for men. When truth cannot be upheld, then it is right that we do everything to retract the idea of scandal. In this case also use a picture of daily life can help. This requires much wisdom, intelligence and knowledge in the Holy Spirit. We know that Jesus has always acted through the motion of the Spirit of the Lord. With him in the heart and mind he always made every reason to scandal that necessarily arose in his often evil and malicious, wicked and ruthless observers, die away.

Then the disciples of John approached him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast (much), but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Who is not filled with the Holy Spirit, who is foolish, stupid and ignorant thinks only to defend his doctrinal or scientific position. He will not remove the scandal, because the other is unlikely to be convinced by his arguments. A scandal that remains in history becomes non credibility and charges of violation in the faith of their fathers. Never might the disciple of Jesus, let that happen. He is the instrument of faith and a scandal on his person obstructs the path of truth.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us the wisdom of the Spirit.