Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope
Jesus uses the parable of the Wedding Feast to reveal how much God the Father desires the salvation of all, but also it speaks of the sad experience of being received with indifference and hostility. Jesus knew the sadness of being rejected and mistreated. He came proclaiming repentance and love for one another, but His words were often misconstrued and ignored.
We always want the words of the Gospel first to challenge ourselves. It’s worth asking: How do I refuse or ignore God’s invitation?
Often, we think of our faith life as something we are just maintaining or keeping going. Yet, the reality is that our faith is often under spiritual attack. You want to protect and guard the invitation God has given you, not just maintain it. Guarding it means actively seeking the good and not squandering our faith with selfishness, complaining, gossip, dishonesty, or any number of vices that destroy self and those around us. Those are just some of the pitfalls and the traps that lie ahead of us. The call to faith is a great gift, so let’s not take it lightly or be careless through any stubborn refusal, inattention, or fault of our own. God has blessed us with so much, and we must turn to the Father with our prayers of gratitude and praise.
Reflection by Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections