The Feast of the Holy Family

Reflecting on the readings for the Feast of the Holy Family, particularly the gospel, and picturing the life of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Nazareth, may help us to see what it means to be holy, as individuals and as a family.

Joseph believes in God, trusts in God, fulfills the law of God, and most importantly, obeys God, which enables him to be the best husband of Mary and an excellent foster father of Jesus.  He is a righteous man who has put God first in his life, and therefore knows and does what is the greater good for his family.  God has arranged for the finest of men in Joseph who will protect and provide for God’s Son and His most holy mother.

Mary, immaculate and holy, loves Joseph and Jesus at every moment, for she knows that the Lord God who has done great things for her.  She is a humble and grace-filled servant of her husband, her Son, and her God.  With God at the center of her life, free of anything that is not of God, Mary is the holiest woman, wife, and mother.  She is most highly blessed and a blessing in every way to her Holy Family.

Raised in such a holy home, Jesus grows in wisdom and grace and spends quiet hidden years preparing for His mission of preaching, healing, suffering and dying in order to save the world.  Jesus spends time with God His Father in prayer.  He studies the Scripture and learns the history of God’s people.  Jesus watches Mary and Joseph and from His childhood on sees what it is to care for others and serve those in need.  Jesus learns to praise and honor the Lord God in all that He does by being with Mary and Joseph as they are faithful in living solely for God’s glory.

None of our families are as holy as that of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph at home in Nazareth.  Yet, we can all grow in virtue by doing as they did: putting God first, trusting God’s action in our lives, seeking always to make our love concrete through humble service.  This is God’s will for us.  We ought to desire this and to ask for the gifts we need in order for our families to be transformed by God’s action. 

God is faithful and will provide everything for us if only we trust Him and surrender to His actions in our lives each and every day.  God will work in even the smallest of ways.  All things are possible for God and the Lord is faithful.  Once we have God at the center of our lives, we too will begin to be a holy family.

4th Sunday of Advent

On this 4th Sunday of Advent, with the celebration of Christ’s birth only hours away, the Church offers us once again the story of the Annunciation.  Mary’s “Fiat” allowed God to become one of us; it also showed us the way to be a faithful disciple of the Lord as Mary was.  What the angel announced to Mary speaks of three gifts that her Son has given to us through our life with Him in Baptism.

First, we are freed from fear.  The Baby was born to offer His life on the Cross for us and so we need no longer fear sin nor death for He has conquered both of them for us.  God’s message to us is always, “Do not be afraid.”

Second, the Lord is with us.  The Holy Spirit dwells within us and desires to lead us and guide us each day.  Jesus is always present to us in the Eucharist, as well as in our gathering in prayer in His name and in the presence of those in our midst who are in need.  Jesus indeed is Emmanuel – “God with us.”

Third, we are blessed.  The Lord God offers us all we need to live a holy life so that we be happy with God forever in heaven.  God’s greatest gift to us is God’s Son and with Jesus, fully human and divine, comes everything we could hope for or want.

What do we offer to God in return for all the Lord has given us?  One thing only: ourselves, which we surrender to God in humble service.  Like Mary, we go before God as willing servants, ready to do whatever is asked at any time.  Sometimes this may entail suffering and pain, as it did Mary at times.  But more often, it will bring a peace beyond all understanding and a joy that would never be ours otherwise.

Later tonight we will celebrate again God’s greatest gift: Jesus the Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.  We offer once more the one gift that is ours to give: our very lives, given in gratitude to our God, Emmanuel, who is God with us, Jesus, the Baby born in Bethlehem, who saves us.

Third Sunday of Advent

A few weeks ago, I was visiting the nearby Catholic grade school.  At recess, a cute little girl came up to me, called me by name, and said hello.  In response, I asked her, “Who are you?” and she smiled, brought herself up to her full height, and announced proudly, “I’m the principal’s daughter!”  Her delight came to mind again as I read today’s gospel.

"Who are you?" is the same question asked of John the Baptist in today’s gospel.  John knows very well who he is and why he is doing what he is doing.  His identity and what the Lord God has asked of him fuels the meaning and purpose of his life, and even his death.  It is behind all he says and does.

“Who are you?” is an excellent question for all of us to ponder during Advent.  And when we answer it in light of God’s word, we have reason to rejoice.  Similarly, the readings from Isaiah and 1 Thessalonians can enlighten us as to what we should do once we know who we are.  

We are preparing for Christmas, the celebration of the gift God gave to us in the Incarnation.  The all-powerful, creator God of the universe came into our world to share our human experience.  We know that Jesus, being fully human, yet fully divine, was like us in all things but sin.  What He did was free us from sin and death so that we might attain the glory of heaven.  Jesus shared our humanity, so that we might share in His divinity.

Who are we?  Through baptism, we are the daughters and sons of God, the sisters and brothers of Jesus.  Now that is a reason to rejoice!  Although weak and sinful at times, we are always welcomed back and washed clean in the mercy of God. 

Like Christ our brother, we have been anointed with the Holy Spirit.  The prophecy from Isaiah in today’s first reading are meant for us.  God has wrapped us in a mantle of justice.  We wear a robe of salvation.  We bear the beauty of a bride adorned with jewels or the impressive strength of a bridegroom wearing a diadem.  As the Scripture says, we rejoice heartily in the Lord and our God is the joy of our souls.  And Isaiah explains we have a mission in life as well, the same as that of Jesus.

Paul affirms all of this in the second reading when he tells the Thessalonians that the God of peace will make them perfectly holy – spirit, soul, and body.  God is faithful and God will accomplish this, Paul assures them. Again, these words are for us also and give us further cause for rejoicing.

What we need do is surrender to God’s work within us and strive to continue the work of Jesus by building up the Kingdom.  Such a surrender and sharing in the mission of Jesus calls for humility, like that of John the Baptist and Mary of Nazareth, the two who best symbolize Advent, the holy season of preparation.  They heard God’s call and said yes and were obedient every step of the way.  We desire to do the same. 

And as Paul encourages, we give thanks, always and everywhere, in every circumstance, for God at work within us.  God – Emmanuel – is with us, no matter what we have to endure, no matter where we may find ourselves. 

We rejoice, for the Lord is near.  Our God has come to save us and God will be faithful until the end.  We know that we are not worthy, but we believe that it is all ours, if only we are willing. 

Second Sunday of Advent

John the Baptist makes his appearance each Second Sunday of Advent with the message to prepare our hearts and make straight our paths for the coming of the Lord.

The people were excited by John’s preaching and baptizing at the Jordan for they recognized him as Elijah come again, which was the sign the Messiah would soon make his appearance.  People responded to John’s call for baptism and were encouraged by the promise that One greater than John would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.

For us, of course, that has happened already.  We have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, ready to counsel us and defend us and give us the words we need, all as Jesus promised at the Last Supper.  All we need do is ask and then submit to the Spirit’s guidance in our lives. 

Yet, John’s message, especially as prophesied by Isaiah in today’s first reading, is still pertinent to our lives.  In order to see the Lord more clearly, we need to make straight our paths.  The valleys that need to be filled in are those places we can fall into that cause us to struggle to find a way out.  Temptations or even sins such as selfishness, self-pity or fear provide moments in very dark and gloomy valleys.  The mountains that need to be laid low are the more major areas of sinfulness with which we struggle: anger, greed, hatred, laziness, lust, and pride.  John’s call to repent of our sins, to change our lives, to head in another direction, is not once and for all, but is a constant need for all of us who desire to grow in holiness.

Not matter how far we have fallen or how high the obstacles that keep us from God, Isaiah reminds us in the first reading that God is like a shepherd for us and will do whatever is needed to keep us safe and well fed.  All we need do is listen for God’s voice, follow the Lord’s call, and trust in God’s mercy and love. 

The second letter of Peter reminds us that God is patient and that too is an assurance for us.  We don’t need to do everything at once.  We ought not to rush because that will only end in failure and discouragement.  Our striving for holiness is a life-long journey. 

We would be wise to ask the Lord for the two virtues that John the Baptist had: humility and perseverance.  John knew that it was all about Jesus, not himself, and John persevered in doing what he knew God called him to do each and every day of his life.  He was willing to prepare and wait patiently for years in the desert.  He then preached and baptized tirelessly when God called him to do that.  And he gladly decreased, so that Christ might increase.  Most importantly, he was faithful to the truth right up to the end, even when it cost him his head in prison. 

The message of Advent and Christmas is that we are loved and God desires to come to us.  And so we work at making our paths straight so that we can see the Lord more clearly.  When we see, may we respond with humility and great gratitude, ever more ready to follow Jesus wherever He leads.

First Sunday of Advent

We have heard the story of the high school student who decides to have a party because his parents are going away for the weekend.  The house is packed with his friends, and all of their friends, and others he doesn’t even know.  Everyone is having a good time: drinking, smoking and dancing to loud music.  And then without anyone even noticing, the father walks in; his wife had gotten sick and she insisted they turn around and go home.

There was no one watching the door.  The sudden appearance of the father, too upset even to speak, silences everyone, who quickly head for the door.  There is no time to do anything else.

That scenario always comes to my mind when I hear today’s gospel parable.  Jesus’ last word is simply, “Watch.”  And watch we should, for He is coming again in glory at a time when no one knows.  We need to be prepared, for when He appears, it will be too late to do anything else.

In today’s first reading, Isaiah cries out to God our Father and asks God to rend the heavens and come down.  The people are in need of God and God’s appearance among them.  Hundreds of years later, the prayer is answered and God quietly appears among us as a little baby born to a young girl with only her trusting husband in attendance.  The only ones who will arrive later are some young shepherds who had been out in the field and were amazed at what angels told them, and some wise men who journeyed from afar being led by a star.

Advent calls us to prepare for the Second Coming that will catch all unaware, but will be made manifest to all who are alive for it will be awesome and glorious.   Yet, Advent is also when we remember the first coming in Bethlehem, which was the beginning of God’s saving the world in time through the power of love.

God wants us all to be saved.  As told by Isaiah, and then later by Jesus, our God is a loving Father who calls us by name into a relationship.  Our Father, and Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, desire that we know, love, and serve their Majesty.  In the second reading, Paul reminds the Corinthians that our God is faithful and will give us the spiritual gifts we need and desire.

Advent then is about both watching for and preparing for God’s coming into our lives.  Advent is an invitation to pray, to ponder the goodness of God, especially the person of Jesus Christ.  We are to deepen our relationship with Him through personal prayer, reading and studying the Scripture, and availing ourselves of the sacraments of Confession and Eucharist that will make us more like the One we love.  We are invited to experience the power of the Holy Spirit leading us into greater holiness. 

We trust that God will provide for us, but it is up to us to give the time, discipline, and energy needed to come to know the Lord.  Advent is a gift of twenty-two days to set aside distractions, fight laziness, silence our minds, and ponder God’s goodness to us.  Then, in imitation of Mary, we will say “Yes” to what God asks.   Like Joseph, we will pay attention to the different ways God speaks so as not to miss a message the Lord has for us.  

As Jesus said, “Watch.”  Our God will come.

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Today’s feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, is a relatively new one. It was first celebrated in 1925 at a time in Europe when evil men were coming to leadership and the Holy Father thought it good to remind us that it is Christ who reigns over all.

In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel tells God’s people that the Lord God is a shepherd for them.  The Lord God will protect them and provide for them and in the end will judge them.  During his public ministry, Jesus spoke of himself as the Good Shepherd and in today’s parable tells us that there will be a final judgment, as Ezekiel prophesied, similar to a shepherd separating sheep from goats.

It’s a comfort and a powerful assurance to us then to know that our King and Lord is like a shepherd who only wants good things for us.  Jesus has laid down his life for us on the cross and is ready to help us in any way in order that, in the end, we share in the fullness of his Kingdom in heaven for all eternity.

The gospel parable reminds us too that the one thing our Eternal King asks of us is that we care for the weak and those in need.  We are to imitate him in every way, looking out for those who need us and then responding when we see that person.  The amazing part of the parable is that Jesus tells us when we are there for others, it is he whom we are serving.  It’s not as if we are serving those who are like Jesus.  We are serving the Risen Christ himself standing before us, as St. Teresa of Calcutta says, often in “the distressing disguise of the poor.”  And, of course, we remember that those in need are many times those closest to us: our family, our friends, people we see each day of our lives.

Holiness takes root and grows in us when we can see with the eyes of faith that it is Jesus who is before us.  St. Alphonsus Rodriguez was a Jesuit brother who was a doorkeeper for years, and when there was a knock, he responded with a quick prayer, “I’m coming, Jesus.”  St. Faustina also had times when she tended the door and she too knew that it was Jesus who would be there asking for something.  We need to be like Alphonsus and Faustina.

We need to ask for that same grace they had: to know and see that it is Jesus himself who needs us.  It is similar to the faith we have that enables us to look beyond the appearances of bread and wine to know that is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist.

The Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, is our brother, our savior, and our shepherd.  He comes to us each and every day so that we can serve him, provide for him, and love him. 

We need to spend time each day in quiet prayer, asking for the eyes to see him, the willingness to serve him, and the heart to love him.  When we do that, we can be confident that we will blessed on the Day of Judgment and will be welcomed into the Kingdom that will never end.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today’s parable, fear and laziness got the third servant in trouble with the master.  Things did not end well, to say the least.

On the other hand, the first two servants, grateful for what they had been given, immediately set out to share and invest and see what would happen.  They were willing to take risks and no doubt were joyful with what resulted.  In the end, they were rewarded.

Rather than seeing God as a demanding master, this parable serves as an invitation to examine what is behind our thoughts and actions.  What is the image we have of God?  Is there any fear there?  What do we think God thinks of us?  Do we know deep down that we are loved infinitely and always? What is it that God wants from us? Do we consider that a blessing or a burden?  What do we hope to have accomplished with our lives when we come to the end?

Fear has no place in a Christian’s life.  Our God is love. Love surrounds us.  Love is the first and last word in all that we know about the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  Perfect love casts out fear.

Laziness is sinful.  It is wrong and can result in no good. If we are lazy, we do not work, and, more importantly, we do not love.  God trusts us to be like Jesus: to love, to serve, to bring hope and peace to others.

If we need to make changes in regards to any of this, now is the time.  Tomorrow may be too late.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Scriptures in these last weeks of the liturgical year remind us that things will come to an end: both our lives and the world.  Christ will come in glory at the end of the world, and when we die, whenever that will be, Christ will stand.  The question, then, is: are we ready?

The parable of the bridesmaids waiting for the Bridegroom features some young women who are ready and others who are not.  Those who are ready are all set.  They had fallen asleep, but have what they need when it is time.  They are welcomed into the celebration.  But those who are ready, who lack the oil to join in the procession, miss out.  It is too late. The door is closed.  They are turned away.

Both the first reading from the book of Wisdom and Jesus’ parable point out the necessity of wisdom.  Wisdom provides a certain knowledge that enables the wise to be aware of what is important and what is essential.  Wisdom empowers them to make sound judgments.  Wisdom also makes them prudent, so that they can act with care and thought for the future.  The wise have foresight that allows them to see what will happen and what will be needed in various situations that may arise.  The wise are indeed blessed. 

Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit; as Christians we are given wisdom, but we need to accept it and use it.  God wants us to be wise and will continue to pour out wisdom on those who seek it.  When we act wisely, we will grow in virtue and holiness and will follow the paths God would have us walk.  Like the wise virgins, those who are wise need not fear when the time comes to stand before the Bridegroom.

The oil in the parable is a symbol of what is needed to be pleasing to the Lord: a life of prayer, good deeds done to those in need, kindness and love for all.  We believe and hope and trust in God, as we seek to align our will with God’s will.  People with such gifts have begged the Lord for them and have cooperated with God’s grace and have them in service of others.  Like the oil that the wise virgins had, such holiness cannot be shared with others, such as the foolish virgins, who have neither desired it, nor worked for it.

Those who will not be prepared for the coming of the bridegroom are certainly foolish, but they are lazy as well.  Seeking holiness is not easy.  It demands discipline and persistence and the decision to get up and start again after every fall.  The foolish way is always the easy way.  While wisdom is rewarding, it is demanding as well.

Although it may seem morbid to some, we ought to consider the end of our lives.  When everything is over, will we have done our best with what God gave us?  Will we have lived for the Lord or for ourselves?  Ask the questions.  Consider what is needed.  Then go to God and ask for wisdom and prudence.  Ask for humility and holiness.  Above all, ask for love, both to know it and to show it.  With God, it is never too late to start again.

31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

“No humility, no holiness.  No holiness, no heaven.”  We will not make it to heaven until we are humble.  It's not an option only for the pious.  We are all called to be humble, just as Jesus humbled himself in the Incarnation and the Crucifixion.  If we are to be genuine followers of Jesus, we need to live and speak humbly. 

In the first reading, the prophet Malachi has a strong word from the Lord for the priests who have not followed the way that had been marked out for them.  With their poor teaching, they have caused others to falter.  They have shown partiality and not recognized others as their equals.  They have failed in humility in every way.

In today’s gospel, Jesus is very critical of the scribes and the Pharisees, who have made life difficult for others.  They have not practiced what they preach.  With their fancy religious garb, seats of honor and titles of respect, they have looked out only for themselves.  They have not been humble, nor have they been servants.   

In the second reading, we hear Paul telling the Thessalonians that when he was with them, he cared for them like a mother with her small children, being careful not to burden them in any way.  He had affection for them and they became dear to him the more he served them.  Paul was humble in word and action and, as a result,  God blessed Paul's work of furthering the gospel.

Humility is the opposite of pride, which always puts oneself first, and then puts everyone else, including God, a distant second place. There's only room for one important person in the mind of the proud.  Humble people, on the other hand, always recognizes that God is first, others are second, and they are third.  Humility has come to see that without God we are nothing and trying to live without God in first place is destined to be a disaster.  But when we are humble, we have peace in our hearts, life has a meaning, eventually we are given a sense of fulfillment. 

What humility requires is that we surrender everything to God. We let God call the shots, set the pace, lead us in the way we should walk.  We have to set aside our will and seek God’s will.  Each and every day, we admit we can’t go it alone and do what needs to be done, but we believe that God can do it, and so we let God do it for us.  We won’t do it well every day, but we start anew each morning trusting our failings to God’s mercy, believing that the Lord always offers a new start.

Humble people approach every situation in life with the spirit of a servant.  As Jesus tells his disciples, if we want to be great, we need to be a servant.  No matter where we are or what we are doing, we ought to ask: What can I do to help? What does this person before me need right now?  How might I be an instrument of God here?

People who are humble focus on others instead of themselves.  They are willing to serve others.  And in doing that, they are imitating Jesus, who came to serve rather than to be served.  As Christians, we are to be servants of the Christ, who is our Master.  We are all children of the Father and as such have a responsibility to care for one another.  The pride of the priests to whom Malachi prophesied and the scribes and Pharisees of whom Jesus spoke blinded them to any sense of responsibility.  We cannot allow ourselves to suffer the same fate. 

God never asks us to do something without promising to give what we need to get it done.  We simply have to ask God with confidence, knowing that the Lord delights in giving us gifts.  In light of today's Scriptures, today we pray for humility and for a deeper understanding that we are all children of the same Father.  We pray that we will have the hearts and the eyes of a servant.  And  then being grateful for what we will be given, we set about our daily work, asking God to keep us from being those who do not practice what they preach.

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s gospel is short, but powerful.  Jesus is being tested again.  When asked which commandment is the greatest, he quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, which captures the essence of the Jewish faith about loving the Lord God with everything one has.  But then he speaks of a second law about loving the neighbor as oneself.  And he says that the whole law and all of the prophets depend on those two commandments: love of God and love of neighbor.  Perfect answer.  No more need be said.

Our first reading from Exodus reminds us that the Lord God wants his people to care for their neighbors who have no one else: widows, orphans, and strangers.  God will hear their cry and he expects others to respond to their cry as well. Not doing so will incite God’s wrath.  The Lord is clear and quite serious about the matter.  Again, no more need be said.

In the second reading, Paul tells the Thessalonian Christians that they ought to be imitators of the Lord.   Who is it that Jesus thought needed care?  Whom did he seek out?  If we are to imitate the Lord, then we need to ponder who was close to Jesus’ heart, as the widow, orphan, and stranger, were close to his Father’s heart. 

Often Jesus sought out those who were excluded by others.  He also enjoyed being with children and blessing them, even though his disciples tried to push them along.  Jesus chose to be with and share a meal with sinners and tax collectors.  Prostitutes and those suffering from evil spirits were not welcome company to most people, but Jesus befriended them and loved them.  And by being with them without condemning them, all those people, young and old, good and bad, were changed and welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

We need to imitate the Lord.  We need to have an open heart and a willingness to include others rather than exclude them.  We ought to ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see those whom Jesus would have us love.  And then we need to do precisely that with everything we’ve got: heart, soul, and mind.  When we do that, God will be both glorified and grateful. 

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today’s gospel, Jesus does not allow himself to be forced into a corner with an answer to the Pharisees’ question.  He knows what they are trying to do and he outwits them.  First, he shows them to be hypocrites by even having a Roman coin on them.  Then he simply asks whose image is on the coin and in response to their answer, he tells them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” 

Knowing Scripture, upon hearing Jesus ask whose image is on the coin, the Jewish people would have immediately thought of Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Rather than being drawn into a controversial discussion of taxes and the Romans, Jesus reminds them of something more important and more pressing, namely, giving one’s total self to God. 

Everything we have we owe to God, who has blessed us with life and every good gift.  The almighty God gave the gift of God’s very self to humanity by taking on our nature and becoming one of us in the person of Jesus, the Son of God.  And then after dying for us, saving us from our sins, and rising from the dead so that we might share in divinity and eternal life, Jesus and the Father continued to share God’s very self with us by sending the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and then pouring the Holy Spirit into each of our hearts at our baptism.  God has given us everything in amazing and beautiful ways.

Having received all those gifts from God, we then ask what we ought to give in return, and the answer obviously is everything!  We need to give God everything we have and are.  We give God our thanks and praise, our service and our lives, even our faults and our failings.  God wants it all.  Everything!  And, of course, the more we give to our good God, the more God gives us in return.  Our relationship with God, who is love, is one of mutual generous giving that will never end in this life and will come to fulfillment when we share in God’s life in the life to come.

Giving, especially to God, is not a one-time thing.  We need to do it in order to be spiritually alive and growing.  It is as essential and necessary as breathing is.  God wants everything from us.  We should not hold anything back, and in return God will give us all we need; all we need do is ask.

We offer all that that we have and are with generosity and gratitude.  As we do that, the Lord responds by giving us love and grace, causing God’s image to shine even more brightly within us. 

May we always be aware of God’s goodness to us and in return respond by with joyful generosity.   When we give what we have been given, we will be giving God the best, gifts that only we can give, and that’s exactly what God wants.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

For the third Sunday in a row, we hear another parable that Jesus tells the chief priests and elders in the temple in Jerusalem.  This parable is the most powerful yet; there is a king and a royal wedding feast and people being killed and a city being burned down and someone at the end being bound and thrown out into the darkness.  The parable is a wake up call, a final offer for those listening to realize who it is standing before them.  They are even told how dire the consequences will be if they continue in their obstinacy and rejection. 

The king giving the wedding feast is God the Father and the groom is Jesus.  Many of the Jewish people have not accepted Jesus’ preaching.  Their ancestors have mistreated and abused the prophets sent to them.  And yet, all are still invited to the wedding feast.  But some of those invited have other priorities and do not attend.  Consequently, even more people are invited, bad and good alike, and finally the hall is filled.  As in the parable, the Church, the bride of Christ, welcomes all into the joy of the eternal wedding feast that awaits us who are faithful in following Jesus.

At the end of the parable, the king, as he welcomes guests, sees someone without a wedding garment, and questions the person, who, having no answer, is cast out into the darkness.  It is a stark reminder that each of us will face a judgment at the end of our life.  More will be expected from us than having been baptized.  As the baptism rite says, we need to have lived so as to have our baptismal garment unstained and our light still burning brightly when Christ comes again.  To those who have been given much, much is expected.  As Jesus says, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.” We need to be sure we are among the chosen.

With this parable, Matthew reminds his community that the Church welcomes all people, Jews and Gentiles.  He also reminds the community that there is more to the Christian life than accepting Jesus as Lord and Messiah.  Members of the Church also have to do works of righteousness and charity.  As Jesus did, they have act justly and charitably and do all that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.  Their righteousness has to exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees.  All this, of course, is true for us as well.

We have to ask ourselves some serious questions:  Do we continue to respond to God’s invitation to live as sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus?  Or are we putting off our response to the invitation, as some in the parable did, due to worldly concerns or selfishness?  Do we seek first the Kingdom of God or are there other priorities that are more important to us?

It is not enough to go to Mass on Sunday. God demands faith and action, words and deeds. We need to have a relationship with Jesus and be active members of the Church.  We have been invited and have responded with our baptism.  Are we also now working we to guarantee that we will be chosen as well? 

Isaiah describes the heavenly banquet in the first reading at which God will wipe the tears from our eyes.  Choice wine, always a symbol of joy, will be in abundance, and all of our hungers will be satisfied and death will be destroyed.

But until then, we have work to do, and, as Paul writes in the second reading, it will at times be humbling and distressing, but we can put our trust in Jesus who will supply everything we need.  With Paul we are confident that we “can do all things in him who strengthen us.” 

When we choose to say yes to God, no matter what is asked, we are promised a white robe of righteousness and a place at the royal wedding feast in heaven.  When we choose anything other than that, we risk being cast into the darkness.  We need to choose wisely each and every day, for we know neither the day nor the hour when we will stand before Jesus and have to give an account of what we have done.