Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
The parable of the King holding the wedding feast for his son is a perfect description of the disappointments we can encounter in life. We experience hurt, rejection, and can feel cast aside. But, rather than focus on our disappointments, it is worth reflecting on God’s perspective. God created the world in all its beauty and wonder, and God created human beings to be in relationship with Him. Again and again, He tried to lead humanity closer to Himself, but man turned his back on God. Consider one of the most heart-wrenching passages in the Old Testament: “When the Lord saw how great the wickedness of human beings was on earth, and how every desire that their heart conceived was always nothing but evil, the LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and his heart was grieved” (Genesis 6:5-6). Have we ever reflected extensively on how we grieve God by hard-heartedness and our sinful actions?
Jesus uses the parable to reveal how much God the Father desires the salvation of all, and how indifference and hostility cause the Israelites to reject God’s loving call. Let’s never forget that the words of the Gospel should always be taken first to challenge oneself. The God of the Universe wants to love you and be in a personal relationship with you. He fashioned you in the womb, He has called you from birth and is inviting you to share in the divine life of the Most Holy Trinity.
No matter how we have responded to this divine invitation in the past, let’s seek reconciliation and turn our hearts to the God who loves us.
Reflection Question: How is God offering you an invitation in this moment?
Reflection by Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections