From: Luke 14:15-24
Parable of the Invited Guests
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Commentary:
15. In biblical language the expression “to eat bread in the Kingdom of God”
means sharing in eternal beatitude, of which this great banquet is a symbol
(cf. Isaiah 25:6; Matthew 22:1-4).
16-24. If God invites someone to know Him in faith, he should sacrifice any
human interest which gets in the way of replying to God’s call, no matter how
lawful and noble it be. The objections we tend to put forward, the duties we ap-
peal to, are really just excuses. This is why the ungrateful invitees are blame-
worthy.
“Compel people to come in”: it is not a matter of forcing anyone’s freedom—
God does not want us to love Him under duress—but of helping a person to
make right decisions, to shrug off any human respect, to avoid occasions of
sin, to do what he can to discover the truth. A person is “compelled to come
in” through prayer, the example of a Christian life, friendship—in a word, apos-
tolate. “If in order to save an earthly life it is praiseworthy to use force to stop
a man from committing suicide, are we not to be allowed use of the same
force—holy coercion—to save the Life (in uppercase) of many who are stupid-
ly bent on killing their souls?” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 399).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading |
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Philippians 2:5-11 © |
Christ humbled himself but God raised him high |
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Responsorial Psalm |
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Psalm 21(22):26-32 © |
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ep1:17,18 |
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Or: | Mt11:28 |
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Gospel | Luke 14:15-24 © |
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'Not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet' |
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