YOU ARE INVITED!

August 19, 2010
Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 22: 1-14


You are invited! This is not an ordinary invitation, but one so profound, that it can change your life forever. The invitation is comes from the all mighty, all powerful, all encompassing God who is the author and owner of the whole universe, to whom is adoration, praise and worship is due from the entire creation. His invitation is a privilege extended to me. I am invited to His Kingdom, to be part of the grand celebration of life and love. I am invited not because I deserve it, but because I am loved and counted precious in His eyes. He wants me to be with Him. It is His joy that I join Him. My presence delights Him. That’s how much He loves me. Yes, the fact that I come to God indicates the inspiration He has given me first, than the sacrifices I take to make myself present to Him. “Unless the Holy Spirit inspires, nobody can come to God.”

I do! God never fails to inspire me. But how do I respond to His call? It may be that I am too focused on the daily chores of my life I do not find time to act on His invitation. I may be too busy with my work building up a business or working out a project so crucial that I do set aside his invitation in the “attend later” folder. It could be that I am spending all my energies and resources in building up relationships—mending , repairing, and strengthening relationships—that I have no time right now to attend to the inspirations, invitations and the commitment to God’s call. Or maybe, I’m too focused on the mundane, the material existence that I do not even hear His voice speaking to me in my heart and conscience. No, I’ve listened to His call and responded generously. I have said yes to Him on the very crucial phases of my life. Yet, my life today does not show the proof of my fiat. I do not care to honor the positive responses (I do’s) I gave to the Lord.

Am I dressed up? In most occasions, however, I do take His word and call seriously. I take time to read His Word, attend the daily sacrifice of the mass and commit myself to His mission. I am happy to present myself in His presence. Wait a moment: “where is my royal garment?” In baptism I was given a white garment symbolizing purity and holiness. I was reminded then to keep this purity unstained and wear it until I enter the eternal Kingdom. God is Holy, and nothing unholy can enter His abode. If I feel I am so poor that I have no royal garment with me, and I have no resources today to own one, I only need to approach the Heavenly Father and present my case before Him. He will lead me to His beloved Son who will clothe me with the garment of Grace which was washed clean in His Divine blood. Yes, it is not enough that I have the invitation and I respond to the call, I also need to clothe myself with the sacramental grace and the child-like innocence.

Thought Capsule: “I have never let my baptismal garment of grace stained in my conscious state of life”.
–Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara