One by one the invited guests turned down the dinner invitation.
"One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
"He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
"When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’
"But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
"The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’
"And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’
"And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’
"The servant went and reported this to his master.
"Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
"The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’
"The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner." (Luke 14: 15 - 24).
Tuesday November 7th 2023 in the 31st Week of Ordinary Time.
The context of today's parable is the enthusiastic statement of a fellow dinner guest of Jesus:
"One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
Dining in the Kingdom of God is the summit of blessings. It is the ultimate aspiration.
The Marriage feast of the Lamb is the mother of all feast.
Why will anyone in his right mind turn down such an invitation?
The answer is that there is something akin to insanity with regard to sin. When the Prodigal Son came back to his senses, he wondered why he ever did what he did. Ran away from the gorgeous home of his loving father to live like a scum of the earth for a number of years!
The Church is the seed of the Kingdom of God on earth. The Eucharist is the Marriage feast of the Lamb on this side of Heaven.
If you have been avoiding the Eucharist, ask the gracious Lord to rescue you from "the highways and hedgerows" before it is too late.
November is the Month we pray for the Souls in PURGATORY.
“I saw my guardian angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames, which were burning them, did not touch me at all. My guardian angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God.” (St. Maria Faustina Kowalski).
For Catholic Church teaching on the Souls in PURGATORY and how to help them, click the link below:
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/10/10-ways-to-assist-poor-souls-in.html
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23-Psalm1to2