Thursday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

    Matthew 22:1–14

Meditatio

“Come to the feast.”

    The most obvious application of this Gospel passage is that the grace of salvation is offered to many, but few choose to accept it. The focus is on those who receive an invitation to the wedding celebration. However, as I reflected on this passage, I began to think about it from a different perspective. What about the son of the king whose wedding is the center of this parable? How did he feel that the invited guests rejected the request for their presence at such a memorable occasion? How would I feel? I would feel bewildered, distressed, anguished. It’s like the feeling you had in the fifth grade when you gave a valentine to a special friend and didn’t receive one back. Or it’s like the feeling you have when you are not selected to travel with your boss to a special event but all of your colleagues are. And most difficult of all, it’s like the feeling you have when the person you love chooses someone else over you.

    Rejection is one of the most devastating experiences of life. Can you imagine what Jesus must feel when we reject his invitations to new life and grace, or when we completely ignore his inspirations? He deeply desires our love, but he leaves us free to accept his invitation to intimacy with him—or not. He would never force us to his wedding banquet; yet he longs for our presence and offers us daily invitations to come to his feast. What if we chose to spend at least fifteen minutes with the Lord each day, speaking to him of our lives, our hopes, our desires, our difficulties, our pains—and listening to his invitations and inspirations? He wants us with him in his presence always. Can we reject such an invitation from the Lord of our lives?

Oratio

    Jesus Master, how often have I ignored your invitations, or not even noticed that I was being offered the opportunity to come closer to you. Help me to not reject your invitations to love, but rather to pay attention to your call each day. I also want to encourage the other invited guests—all those I meet—to listen to your invitation and respond to your summons, so that we may celebrate the grace you offer so gratuitously.

Contemplatio

    I want to be with you always, Jesus.

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)