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Today's Readings
The twenty eighth Sunday in ordinary time
Isaiah 25:6-10a
Psalm 23:1-6
Philipians 4:12-14,19-20
Matthew 22:1-14
How to handle fakers
The story is told about a man that died; a few moments after his death he saw two places one was a fiery place with souls in terrible torment. The other one was a bright and heavenly place with joyous souls. A booming voice asked him: Where would you choose to be? The man quickly replied: I chose the bright and heavenly place.
When he was about to enter the pearly gates he was barred from entering. After which a loud voice boomed and said: Why are you trying to desperately enter now? Do you remember when you were still alive? I invited you to Church for countless times but you did not give any importance to my invitations. You gave more priority to your temporal and worldly activities.
In our gospel Jesus gives a parable about a wedding feast, the king ordered the servants to invite the chosen guests. But they were all busy so they ignored the invitation they instead went to their usual daily engagements. One went to his farm, another to his business. The others that were invited had the temerity to kill the messengers of the king.
The king represents God and He perpetually invites us all to be present in the weeding banquet that is the celebration of the Holy Mass. We oftentimes encounter people urging us to be present at Holy Mass, to read the bible, to pray and be connected with God. They are the messengers or servants of God sent by Him for us to be closer to Him. Why? Because God wants us to be His close friends this is the primary reason why He always invites us to His feast.
But what is our reaction to His perpetual invitation? We often times ignore it for the reason that we are so much busy with the things of this temporary world. We ignore it until we become aware of our own mortality so we are forced to know and discover God because we are already in dire need of Him.
We are right now inside an extra-ordinary time caused by the covid-19 pandemic. So many of us are not able to be physically present at Holy Mass. But there are other ways for us to respond to this call. For example we can watch Holy Mass online, on TV or listen via radio. Therefore, if we would desire to respond we can actually respond but most often than not our reason is we have no time.
But the irony of it all is we create time for the things of this world but we can’t create time for God. Why wait for that time when we are already sickly or near death before we respond? Why not respond now to His invitation while we are still in the pink of health?
My Lord, you want to offer me every good gift and grace I need to draw closer to you as the source of my happiness. You offer your intimate friendship to every single person. Your goodness, love, and mercy are for everyone, including me. Please forgive me for the moments I have rejected you out of foolishness over my own concerns. You know how hard it is for me to overcome attachments to seeking security in my achievements, in how others perceive me, and in worldly comforts. Help me to respond freely to seeking your grace and expressing my gratitude with a generous and joy-filled heart each day. Jesus, I trust in You
Today, by God's grace, spend a moment contemplating and fostering your longing for heaven. With hope in the Resurrection, seek to give witness to living with Christian joy in responding to any challenge today. The Lord be with you. Have a wonderful Sunday