God invites each of us to Heaven. We are honored to be chosen! We get ready, we're excited. Then, as the time between now and Heaven wears on, we get a bit lax:
- I would love to go to Mass on Sunday but it's my only day off and I'm tired.
- I would love to take my child to CCD "but with soccer and ballet and girl scouts, we just can't fit it into our schedule". (this is a quote because I spoke to someone who said it to me directly last year. I didn't really respond. What could I say to that level of commitment?)
- I would love to say the rosary every night but I would miss my favorite show.
- I don't want to go to confession because I don't do anything wrong, really, it's mainly the people around me that have the problem.
-I can only give a few dollars in the collection because, after my cable bill and cell phone bill and gym membership, there isn't that much left.
So, we make our excuses and we go about our lives. Do you notice when you put worldly things above God, everything else seems a bit less vivid? Things don't go the way we planned, we're stressed, life seems harder for some reason. Most definitely not like reclining at a banquet.
The parable goes on to say that, once those who were invited all backed out, the rich man sent his servant to invite "the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame" all of whom seemed to come when asked.
Of course there are poor and crippled and blind and lame people who are faithful and those who are not. Still, I like to hope that you get more credit when you have exceptional crosses here and deal with them well. Especially if you start out as a less-than-faith-filled person.The person who has little faith but grows on account of carrying a difficult cross will be celebrated in Heaven, right? Maybe even more than the faith-filled person who accepted his crosses, knowing what was to come? (Have you just now realized that my Masters is not in Theology? Give me some room, people, I'm thinking out loud).
I was writing a few days ago about what I was willing to give back to God if I were asked. When I sit and look at this parable, I'm always kind of smacked in the face. Yes, I did take my kids to daily Mass today instead of catching up on school or walking to the library. I also signed up my son for art class in the evening that would put a big crimp into family rosary time (if there was such a regular thing as that...guess I'm saying I would like there to be but I sabotage it whenever possible). So, am I in the banquet hall or not? I don't know. I know that I still have to keep working...that I always have more work to do to get farther in the door.
I don't despair because the best part of the parable is when the servant comes back and says ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’! Oh I love to hear that. The banquet isn't full! The doors aren't closed! If we changed our plans away from God, we can still change them back! What a good God we have. How blessed we are!
How blessed we are, indeed! Thanks for this perspective.
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