The parables of the kingdom preached by Jesus reveal the Church’s true nature and the conduct which must characterize those who are called

The Holy Father continued his weekly catechesis on the mystery of the Church at the General Audience of 18 September. In this talk he states that the Church is revealed in the many parables Jesus used to explain this mystery.

1. The Gospel texts document Jesus' teaching about the kingdom of God in relation to the Church. They also document how the Apostles preached this teaching and how it was understood and believed in the early Church. The mystery of the Church as kingdom of God is revealed in these texts. Vatican II says: "The mystery of the holy Church is already brought to light in the way it was founded. For the Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the Good News, that is, the coming of the kingdom of God.... This kingdom shone out before men in the word, in the works and in the presence of Christ" (Lumen gentium, n. 5). In addition to everything we said in this regard during the preceding catecheses, today we will reflect further on the teaching that Jesus gave about the kingdom of God in his parables, especially in those which are particularly concerned about explaining its significance and essential value.

2. Jesus says: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son" (Mt 22:2). The parable of the wedding feast presents the kingdom of God as a royal—and therefore, sovereign—undertaking by God himself. It also includes the theme of love, and precisely, of spousal love: the son for whom the father is preparing the wedding feast is the bridegroom; the circumstances indicate his presence and allow us to understand who he is. This will appear clearly in other New Testament texts which identify the Church as the bride (Jn 3:29; Rv 21:9; 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:23-27, 29).

3. In this parable, instead, there is a clear indication of who the Bridegroom is, i.e., it is Christ, who establishes the Father's new covenant with humanity. This is a covenant of love, and the kingdom of God itself appears as a communion (community of love), which the Son establishes through the Father's will. The "feast" is the expression of this communion. In the context of the economy of salvation described by the Gospel, it is not difficult to see in this wedding feast a reference to the Eucharist: the sacrament of the new and eternal covenant, the sacrament of the marriage of Christ and humanity in the Church.

4. Although the Church is not mentioned as the Bride in this parable, other elements in the context recall what the Gospel tells us about the Church as kingdom of God. Thus, the divine invitation is universal: "The king said to his servants, 'Invite to the feast whomever you find' " (Mt 22:9). Among those invited to the Son's wedding feast some of those who were chosen first are missing: those were to have been guests according to the tradition of the old covenant. They refused to go to the feast of the new covenant, giving various excuses. Then Jesus has the king, the master of the house, say: "Many are invited, but few are chosen" (Mt 22:14). Many others are invited in their place and they fill the banquet hall. This detail makes us think of another parable of warning which Jesus taught: "I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness" (Mt 8:11-12). Here one clearly sees how the invitation becomes universal: God intends to make a new covenant in his Son not only with the chosen people, but with all humanity as well.

5. The next part of the parable indicates that definitive participation in the wedding feast is tied to certain essential conditions. Entering the Church is not enough to guarantee eternal salvation: "My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?" (Mt 22:12), the king asks one of the guests. The parable, which at this point seems to pass from the people of Israel's historical refusal of their election to the personal conduct of anyone who is invited and to the judgement which will be made in his regard, does not give a precise meaning to this "garment". But it can be said that the explanation is found in the whole of Christ's teaching. The Gospel, particularly in the sermon on the mount, speaks of the commandment of love which is the principle of divine life and perfection, modelled on the Father: "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48). It is a matter of that "new commandment" which, as Jesus teaches, consists in this: "As I have loved you, so you also should love one another" (Jn 13:34). Therefore, it seems possible to conclude that the "wedding garment", as a condition for participating in the feast, is precisely this love.

This fact is confirmed by another great parable which concerns the final judgement and so has an eschatological character. Only those who practise the commandment of love through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy toward their neighbour can take part in the feast of the kingdom of God: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Mt 25:34).

6. Another parable helps us understand that it is never too late to enter the Church. God's invitation can be addressed to a person even at the last moment of his life. This is the well-known parable of the workers in the vineyard: "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire labourers for his vineyard" (Mt 20:1). He later went out several times at different hours of the day, until the last hour. And each of them was given a salary in which, beyond the limit of what was owed in strict justice, the landowner wished to show all his generous love.

In this regard, the moving episode comes to mind which was recounted by the evangelist Luke about the "good thief" who was crucified next to Jesus on Golgotha. The invitation was given to him as an act of mercy by God, as he said almost breathing his last: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom". And he heard from the mouth of the Redeemer and Bridegroom, who had been condemned to death on a cross: "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise" (Lk 23:42-43).

7. Let us cite another one of Jesus' parables: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" (Mt 13:44). Analogously, there is the merchant in search of fine pearls, "when he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it" (Mt 13:45). This parable instills a great truth in those who are invited: to be worthy of the invitation to the Bridegroom's royal feast it is necessary to show that one understands the supreme value of what is being offered. Hence, there must be willingness to sacrifice everything for the kingdom of heaven, which is worth more than everything. No earthly good is comparable to it in value. One can abandon everything, without loss, in order to take part in the feast of Christ the Bridegroom.

The essential condition of detachment and poverty is indicated by Jesus, with all the other conditions, when he calls blessed "the poor in spirit", "the meek", "those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness", for "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (cf. Mt 5:3, 10); and also when he presents a child as "the greatest in the kingdom of heaven"; "Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 18:2-4).

8. Along with Vatican II, we can conclude that in the words and actions of Christ, especially in his teaching through parables, "the kingdom of God shone out before men" (Lumen gentium, n. 5). In preaching the coming of that kingdom, Christ founded his Church and showed what was her inner, divine mystery (cf. Lumen gentium, n. 5).