OPEN INVITATION TO GOD'S KINGDOM DON’T BE TOO BUSY TO COME

 Tuesday 31st week in Ordinary Time Year A, 3rd November, 2020. The Memorial of St. Martin De Porres

Readings: Phil 2:5-11 , Ps.22 , Luke 14:15-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

OPEN INVITATION TO GOD'S KINGDOM DON’T BE TOO BUSY TO COME

Invitation to event and social gathering are part of humanity's social ways of life. And as usual Jesus often uses the things we are very much familiar with to teacher us a very important lesson. So on the occasion of our Gospel passage today Jesus tell the parable of the great banquet, how a man planned a large banquet and sent out invitations, but those invited turned it down, so he opened the invitation to all who cares to come. Jesus ends the parable by saying that “not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet”

Here, their excuses for not coming to the banquet are not realistic. Because no one buys land without seeing it first, and the same can be said for buying oxen. And what, exactly, would keep a newly married couple from attending a social event? All the excuses in the parable show insincerity on the part of those invited. Hence the invitation is opened up to society’s maimed and downtrodden. The fact is that, those who ignored the invitation to the banquet chose their own punishment, they missed out and the master respects their choice by making it permanent: they would not “taste of my banquet”, he said. 

So it will be with God’s judgment on those who choose to reject Christ or are so busy to respond to his invitation, they will have their choice confirmed, and they will never taste the joys of heaven. Therefore, let us learn to honour the invitation of God in humility, just like Christ Jesus whose state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are; and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross as we heard in our second reading today.

Dear friends, the kingdom of God is opened for us today, let us not be too proud or busy to embrace it for the blessings of the kingdom are available to all who will come to Christ by faith. Let us learn to be humble and charitable with the gift God has given us, just like St. Martin De Porres, whose memorial we celebrate today. For he was known for his care for the poor and the sick, using his knowledge in medicine and extraordinary spiritual gifts with a profound life of prayer, humility and penance. And today he is known as patron saint of African Americans.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are too busy with the things of this passing world, as we hear about the invitation to your Heavenly Kingdom today, may we embrace it with all humility while imitating St. Martin De Porres whose life is rooted in the humility of Christ your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Do have a blessed day.