Knowledge without humility can become a tool of pride, and religious devotion without sincerity can become hypocrisy. Jesus' encounter with those who sought to entrap Him reminds us that God looks beyond eloquent words, outward piety, and intellectual accomplishments to the intentions of the heart and the fruits of our actions.

The Wedding Banquet symbolizes God's invitation to His heavenly Kingdom, humanity's response to that invitation, and the need to live in righteousness, which expresses accountability to God's standards.

In the First Reading, Israel is burdened by the guilt of its unfaithfulness to the covenant. Through Isaiah, however, God presents a vision of an eternal banquet on the Holy Mountain, where Yahweh is revealed as King of all nations. The banquet becomes a powerful image of salvation, communion, and God's desire to gather all people to Himself.

Two weeks ago, I was in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the Titanic was built. On the night it sailed, its passengers came from all walks of life: rich and poor, famous and unknown, educated and uneducated, employers and workers. After the ship sank, the Cunard office in New York reduced them to two categories: "LOST" and "SAVED."