Twentieth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

We are all invited to the heavenly feast, but not all of us accept the invitation. Furthermore, some of us may accept the invitation, but then do nothing to prepare ourselves for the wedding of our hearts with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If we do not have any good words and works to clothe ourselves in, then we will be denied a part in the feast. It is not enough to simply show up without preparing ourselves first and the best way to prepare is to cultivate the virtues of faith, hope, and especially love of God and our neighbors. Otherwise, when our time of judgment comes we shall be silent too because we shall have nothing to show for all the time God has given us to do His Will. Thankfully, God gives us every chance to join Him at the feast and show Him our faith through our works.

In what ways are we denying God's call to join Him in heaven? What can we do to prepare ourselves for participating in the heavenly banquet? What good works are we doing in our lives to lead others to the kingdom of God, too?

O Lord, give us the graces we need to respond to your call to holiness and unity with your divine will.

Amen.