28th Sunday in OT
10.15.2023
“He sent His servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet,
but they would not come.”
Matthew 22
Dear Family in Christ,
This Sunday, we hear the third and final parable of Jesus, spoken to the Pharisees in the Temple. So far, He has used the imagery of a vineyard to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. He now switches the image to a Wedding Banquet; the great feast that the King is throwing in honour of His Son.
One of the striking aspects of this parable is the contrast between the greatness of the invitation and the apathetic response of those who are invite: ‘They made light of it and went away, one to his farm, and another to his business.’ When we apply this parable to our lives, God is inviting us to something greater than we could ever imagine. On a large scale, He invites us to the adventure of a life lived with Him, doing His will, in a relationship of the greatest intimacy love culminating in Eternal Life. More concretely, we are invited every Sunday to the Wedding Banquet of His Son- the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
What is our response? Is it apathy, indifference, or a lame excuse? May God grant us the grace to take Him seriously, and respond with a love worthy of so great an invitation.
I’ve loved this quote ever since I came across it about ten years ago. When I read this Gospel I am reminded of it. I hope you enjoy it too.
‘The greatest tragedy in humanity is when we do not wrestle with God, when we become so apathetic that we are but a limp rag doll in the hands of a mighty lover who wishes that we fight back; that we embrace Him and choose to find truth. Christ will seek the ends of the earth for the one sheep that has gone astray. He will fight the darkness to find His beloved, but when He holds us in His arms and we do not show any sign of life, then it is the heart of a King that is broken and all of creation will moan in the loss of another soul that was meant to dance in the courts of Heaven.
Take your doubts to Christ, let this fire grow inside you and become aware that He is wanting a heart that beats and seeks knowledge. He wants a mind that thinks and learns wisdom, and He wants a soul that cries out for help when it seems impossible to find. Because He broke down the gates of hell to rescue His bride; He is coming with a righteous fire in His soul and a joy that will wipe away every tear from your eyes. You just have to be willing and ready.’
- T.B. LaBerge
God love you,
Father Corso
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