An Invitation from God: Ability to Choose to Go or Not to Go

When was the last time you received an invitation for a party or wedding?

For me, it was Fall 2022 as I witnessed two of my closest friends become one in the Sacrament of Matrimony. 

Perhaps, you received one recently as well. Here’s the catch: you can choose to attend or not attend. 

The readings for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time discusses about a feast that will take place. We’re all invited to it. Like the metaphor of a wedding celebration, we also have an invitation from God to attend or not.   

In the first reading from Isaiah, which it is a common selection for funerals, he talks about a mountain. The mountain is referring to God’s dwelling place with joy, peace and celebration. It will be a place with no suffering but a utopia filled with life.

Now, it may be peculiar to hear this in light of recent events throughout the world. 

The Middle East is now in crisis with the atrocities caught on video in Israel going viral by the minute. Ukraine is still in turmoil with the ongoing tensions with Russia. Sudan and Nigeria is seeing Christians being tormented and killed. 

Even lately how Philadelphia is now preparing for another funeral for a fallen police officer killed near its busy airport. It is surreal that the passage from Isaiah comes at a very providential time. We are even reminded of how fragile and precious life can be no matter the circumstances. 

The Hail Holy Queen has a line that goes, “poor banished children of Eve who send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.” Since the time of our existence on earth, we long for our forever home and that is heaven. 

Jesus goes a step further when he tells about the king sending out invitations. The servants go out twice and the invitations received mixed responses. Like last week, we hear about what happens when God’s message is rejected. 

“Many are invited, few are chosen.” Jesus tells the scribes. We are invited to accept Christ as king now in our very lives. When it’s said and done, we will take part in his celebration in heaven. 

God has also given to us free will. We do have the ability to choose. However, every choice we make can have a positive and negative outcome. Think of it as pros and cons. Everything we do will inevitably have those. 

Today, we are surrounded by the culture of death. We have gotten to this point because many have chosen to abandon the teachings on the sanctity of human life. Some may argue that it’s just those who peacefully pray and sidewalk counsel outside of an abortion facility. Not quite. Rather, there have be agents of deaths who play God daily as they seek to devour every gift of human life they can kill for some agenda, personal gratification, or false ideology. 

We can take comfort in the fact that Jesus conquered death on the cross through his Paschal Mystery. 

Are you ready to accept an invitation from Christ to walk in his ways? Are you ready to build a culture of life today for every human from the moment of conception until natural death? 

Let us strive to have life thrive and prepare for the spiritual banquet by proclaiming God to every person.