Your will has to be stronger than your excuses

“For like a poisonous breath over the fields, like a mass of locusts over Egypt, so the swarm of excuses is a general plaque, a ruinous infection among men, that eats off the sprouts of the Eternal.” - Søren Kierkegaard (Danish philosopher and theologian)

Gospel Text: (LK 14:15-24)
One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

It’s easy to be occupied mentally, to be busy physically, to have excellent reasons why “now” is not a convenient time. However, God’s worth rearranging your schedule, just as you would cancel all your other appointments if you were invited to a state dinner or if you had the chance to meet your favorite performer backstage.

You’re invited! The God of the universe is inviting you—personally! He says to you, “Come, dine with me. Sit next to me, and talk with me.” Let that invitation sink in.

Unfortunately, we are capable of swapping God for practically anything. Some, as we read in today's Gospel: for a piece of land, others, for some yoke of oxen. And you and I, what are we willing to trade He, who is our God and his invitation for?

It's up to each of us to accept this invitation as men and women of faith - and to generously live our vocations as true disciples and faithful citizens of the world. With God's help, we can bypass excuses and respond with a lived, resounding "yes!" as did St Francis and countless others we recently celebrated in the feast of All Saints.

Consider the joy and privilege of being invited into His Father’s presence? It’s yours for the taking!