Do you consider going to Mass as a feast to be celebrated? - Daily Reflections November 5,2013

INVITATIONS AND R.S.V.P.’s

 

In continuation of yesterday’s Gospel passage, here now is Jesus’ Parable of the Banquet. Consistent with what He recommended previously, Jesus now narrates this story. It contains a stunning reversal in the invitees to the dinner: those who were privileged to be invited excused themselves, and so other poor and marginalized people were called in instead.

       Let’s look at it from our common experience. We don’t get invitations to a hospitalization, a funeral, or the like — we are notified of such unfortunate events. Instead we are invited to a wedding, a birthday celebration, a dinner, and the like. These are friendly and pleasurable events in life, the refusal of which might well be considered a breach of etiquette or a neglect of friendship.

       Our Gospel parable gives a sad and sorry picture. Even the alibis and excuses of those who refused the invitation sounded lame.

       Let us now look at ourselves and ask a few hard questions. What is our response to the Lord’s invitation to the Eucharistic Banquet? Or to the Ultimate Banquet of the Heavenly Kingdom? We don’t quite look at these in the same way, do we? But they are no less as real. We need not dream of being invited to a royal wedding, or a state dinner, or a meet-and-greet opportunity with a visiting concert performer. We have the precious privilege of joining the Lord’s feast every day — just go to your nearest parish church.

       A lot of party planners and event organizers lament that we Filipinos hardly pay attention and heed the R.S.V.P. etiquette. But whether we actually notify our hosts and their organizers or not, we must reply when it comes to the Eucharistic celebration. We reply with our feet — we actually go and attend and participate — and benefit from it.

       May we never shy away from the greatest form of worship and adoration we can offer God, the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you consider going to Mass as a feast to be celebrated?

 

Lord, may I treasure every second I am at Mass, as it is a foretaste of the ultimate feast in heaven