WILL YOU REJECT GOD'S NVITATION

 *Sunday, October 15, 2023* 


 *28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A* 


First Reading. Isaiah 25: 6-10

Psalm 23: 1-6 (R.6cd)

Second Reading. Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20

Gospel. Matthew 22: 1-14


TOPICS FOR REFLECTION


 *INVITE TO GOD'S BANQUET, WILL YOU DECLINE HIS INVITE?* 


 *WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU RECEIVED THE HOLY COMMUNION?* 


If you are celebrating your birthday party, and you have prepared both local and different intercontinental foods together with various types of drinks, but none of the people you invited honour your invitation; they all gave one flimsy excuse or another. 


In such a situation what will you do?

1. Will you throw all the food you have prepared away?

2. Will you be happy that nobody attended your birthday party?

3. Will you not conclude that nobody loves you?

4. Will you not feel rejected, dejected and abandoned?

5. Will you not see yourself as a nobody among your friends and family?


Anyway, since all you invited did not come, will you not think of sending a message to the street for anybody to come and eat free food?


Let's assume the people in the street also turned down your request, how will you feel? 


Would you not prefer to invite all smu how person to come and eat free food? At least the food will not be a waste.


Hmmm, I could sense how you are imagining such a bad scenario and saying "God forbid it happen to me".

Some of you might even be saying in your mind that if such should happen to me, I will kill myself.


Oh my God, so you can react like this? 😆 😆 😆, this is serious. So it is better to imagine than experience it.


Now you can sincerely understand how God feels when we reject His invite to His eternal banquet which is free without any cost.


Many of us had stopped receiving the Holy Communion for months, and years because we gave different excuses for not receiving it.


Some of us have the wrong notion of what humility is, we will claim that in humility I condemn myself not to be worthy of receiving Jesus (Holy Communion) at Mass, hence we stay away from communion.

My dear, can you stop eating because you do not see water to bathe? Will you not make an effort to search for water to bathe?

So, if you feel you are not worthy to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, why not go for confession?


My dear, as Jesus said, many are called but few are chosen. Try to be among the few chosen ones.


Always remember this symbol that eating and drinking depict joy and happiness; which means there is everlasting joy and peace in the kingdom of heaven.


Funerals depict pain and sorrow; which means there is unending pain and sorrow in hell fire.


Finally, register in your memory how you celebrated your birthday party and nobody came to eat the food you prepared, then apply it to you not receiving the Holy Communion at Mass.


I encourage you to say with St. Paul "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."


 *Peace ✌️ be with you.* 


 *Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.* 



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