The Invited Make Excuses

The appointed Gospel reading for the daily prayer of the Church is taken from the Gospel according to Luke where we read:

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’

One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, ‘Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.” But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.” So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” And the slave said, “Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” Then the master said to the slave, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.” ’  (Lk. 14: 12-24).

We are so easily distracted by what we consider to be important.  Just like the characters in today’s Gospel reading, we are so much so distracted that when Jesus calls us to follow him and to join the feast, we make excuses as to why we cannot come.  Why do we do it?  Why do we fail to follow Jesus when he calls us to the feast?  Why is what we want so much more important that what Jesus calls us to?

Let us pray:  O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The turkeys from St. Augustine made it to St. Vincent’s House this morning for the Thanksgiving celebration for the clients of St. Vincent’s House. 

We will celebrate Thanksgiving Day as a community of faith on Sunday, 25 November after the 9:00 a.m. Eucharist where Fr. Kern Huff will concelebrate.  Please sign up to bring a side dish or dessert.

On Sunday, 25 November, we will celebrate the Feast of Christ the King.

We will begin a new Adult Christian Education series on the first Sunday of Advent.  Please join Jillian Bain for the study.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Betty Robinson who fell while she was working with the Altar Guild this last Friday, Michael Lombard who is suffering from an inoperable brain tumor, and for his father, Joe and for Carol Hogan.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550