Thursday of 20th Week, Year II: reflection

Theme: Never make light of God’s invitation

Reading: Mt 22:1–14

Dearest brothers and sisters, the parable of today’s gospel reading has two important lessons for us.

First, it tells us never to take God’s invitation for granted. In this parable, the host of the banquet ordered his guards to apprehend and deal with the first group of guests he invited because took his invitation for granted. Let us say they ignored him. While some of them went to their farms and other businesses, others attacked the messengers of the host for disturbing their peace.

The actions of the first people that were invited to the banquet are similar to the attitudes of many people of our time to the good news and its bearers. In our world, many people are too busy for the things of God and the message of salvation, they think that going to church is a waste of the time that could be invested in their businesses or other activities. Some people go to the extent of verbally or physically assaulting those who preach the good news to them. Jesus reminds us that anything that causes us to reject the good news will lead us to destruction.

Second, this parable tells us that once we accept God’s invitation, we should not remain the same as we were before the invitation, rather we should make a change, allowing the teachings and life of Jesus to transform us. In this parable, a man among the people who accepted the invitation was seen in the banquet hall without a wedding garment, and he was cast out. Perhaps, while others were collecting the wedding garment at the entrance, as it was done, the man opted to remain the way he was, or he accused those who asked him to change his old clothes of judging him.

One of the evil winds blowing in our churches these days is the idea of people preferring to follow Jesus according to their own style rather than according to the teachings of Jesus, believing that Jesus will love them the way they are. But the truth is that God, who invites us to come to him the way we are, does not want us to remain that way in His presence. Rather, He wants us to transform our lives according to His teachings and the grace following from His presence; He wants us to throw away our dirty and old garment of sin and, then, put on a new garment of holiness. Let no one deceive you to believe that those who advise you to change are judging you.

May your Thursday be filled with God’s blessings. Amen.

Fr Isaac C. Chima