TUESDAY OF THE THIRTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – Luke 14: 15-24 – God’s Word for Us
Table of Contents
The First Reading PHIL 2:5-11
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians
Brothers and sisters:
Have among yourselves the same attitude
that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and, found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Gospel (Luke 14:15-24)
One of the dinner guests, on hearing this,
said to him, “Blessed is anyone
who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
Then Jesus said to him,
“Someone gave a great dinner and invited many.
At the time for the dinner
he sent his slave to say to those
who had been invited,
‘Come; for everything is ready now.’
But they all alike began to make excuses.
The first said to him, ‘I have bought
a piece of land, and I must go out and see it;
please accept my regrets.’
Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen,
and I am going to try them out;
please accept my regrets.’
Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’
So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house
became angry and said to his slave,
‘Go out at once into the streets and
lanes of the town and bring in the poor,
the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered
has been done, and there is still room.’
Then the master said to the slave,
‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel
people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’ ”
The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ.
The Word of God for Everyone
Dear people of God,
Today’s Word of God reminds all of His children that: when all the graces or gifts that God the Father has given from the beginning of creation until now, if people do not accept them, it is like the situation of the host who prepares a banquet and invites guests to attend the banquet. But they have made up all kinds of excuses not to attend the banquet. Those who refuse God’s grace will also be kicked out and will not enjoy the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven when He calls them out of this world.
The graces that God the Father gives are the Holy Mass, the prayers, the hours of meditation, the good words that God the Father teaches, and the rituals that God the Father gives to the Church. Whoever does not accept these graces will be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven, when He calls them out of this world. This is a great punishment for those souls who do not accept the graces that God the Father gives.
In today’s Word of God, God the Father warns those souls who only care about worldly affairs, to enjoy, that Satan will find every opportunity to drag those souls out of the loving arms of God the Father. Satan will find every way to prevent those souls from attending the banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven. And those souls will be like the guests in today’s Gospel, the host will never let those guests attend the wedding again.
Therefore, all the banquets that God the Father prepares for people right here on earth are opportunities for people to receive the graces and love of God the Father in their hearts, so that from there they can put His Word into practice. Otherwise, it is only full of worldly passions that penetrate into the soul and body of man with worldly pleasures, worldly feasts that pass quickly without nourishing the soul of man so that man can receive the graces, love and light of God, so that later he can enjoy happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven with Him. God the Father will eliminate those souls who do not know how to receive the graces He gives from His loving arms. When He has given them the opportunity but they do not accept it, those souls will suffer greatly when He calls them out of this world.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
