Imagine you planned what you thought would be a lovely garden party. You planned a variety of fruits, vegetables, small sandwiches, dips and delicacies, making sure you had considered food allergies and diets. Calculated what you would need in the way of furniture. Persuaded some grandchildren to help set up, serve and clean up. You knew the kids and your friends would enjoy each other. The weather forecast was a lovely spring afternoon. You anticipated it would be a perfect gathering of friends, family, and neighbors.
No Shows
Then, one by one, they began to call. One had a sick child, the other a water leak, the next an unexpected out-of-town guest. It seemed endless and a stream of cancellations. All with regrets and good excuses. So much planning, so looking forward to entertaining your friends. You feel disappointment, while the man in the Gospel felt "rage."
What to do? You put on a pleasant disposition and attended to the few guests who did come. And you had a lovely gathering.
Fill the Banquet
But what did "the man in the gospel" do? When he, "master of the house, was notified about all the cancellations, …in a rage commanded his servant, "Go out quickly into the street and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, the blind and the lame." There was still room for more. …the master… then ordered the servant, Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled".
This seems pretty extreme to me. "rage, angry (and)…make people come…" It never crossed my mind to invite the poor, blind, crippled and lame. Did I even know such needy, unfortunate people?
Justifiably Excused
Secondly, excuses are usually pretty good, and we all get pretty good at giving convincing excuses. While teaching at school, I remember being given many excuses every week for why a student missed a quiz, didn't turn in an assignment, or sometimes why the teachers were late. Although there is an occasional dog-ate-my-homework-quality excuse, most of the students' and teachers' excuses are often reasonable, understandable, and assumedly truthful.
The dinner guests in today's Gospel offer no exception to this rule. The excuses they give for missing the dinner seem altogether reasonable, for who among us would expect a newlywed to cancel his honeymoon to have dinner with us? On the face of it, it looks like the master of the house shows less leniency and mercy to his invitees than I show to my students!
The Lessons of the Gospel
However, what moral I am supposed to take away from today's Gospel. Perhaps Jesus is trying to remind us all that there are no excuses for saying no to His call because nothing is more important than responding to Him. Maybe, in today's Gospel, Christ is reminding us that being with Him is the only thing that matters in the end, not our job, possessions, or busyness.
Let us stop offering excuses to God; why didn't we go to the church or to the good I should have done? Let us embrace God's wonderful call to sainthood so that we may not be among those cold and busy souls who have no time for Him. Instead, let us join "the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame" at the table of our Lord's heavenly banquet.
- Father Boby's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
