REQUIREMENT FOR THE BANQUET


WEDNESDAY, THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Rom 13:8-10; Ps 112:1-2,4-5,9; Lk 14:25-33

The Conditions for Attending the Banquet

As we stated in our reflection yesterday, faith is necessary for our acceptance of the invitation of the Son of Man to his mystical banquet, but not sufficient. Faith is insufficient because it does not bind the will to the envisioned goal. Love completes our faith in the Son of Man and makes it sufficient for the journey. Without love for the Son of Man who invites all peoples and nations to his banquet, we would not put aside our personal goals and preoccupations to attend the mystical banquet. The difficulty increases with the possession of material things or wealth. Our possessions have a way of possessing us also. Hence, we see how that played out in the Gospel of yesterday, that all those invited excused themselves on the basis of their engagements with their possessions: land, equipment, wife, etc. Our attachments to these gifts of God distract our hearts and keep them from being devoted to the Lord. We must have in mind that he made us for this purpose: that we may come to the eternal and heavenly banquet. Faith is necessary for us to grasp this fundamental truth, which serves as a foundation to move our hearts to love our God and Creator, and to apply ourselves to attend the banquet of eternal life. The structure of love does not just arise on the foundation of faith without labour. We need to apply ourselves to the principles of our faith, guided by the Holy Spirit to build our spirit in love and communion with the Son of Man. This is the mystical path to the heavenly banquet.

Grounded solidly on our faith in the Risen Lord, we would do everything in relation to him and for the love of him. The transition from self-motivated life and operations to Christ-motivated life and operations takes a lifetime. Remember that this transition is impossible for human nature unaided by grace. The Holy Spirit is given to us for this purpose. Saint Paul emphasised the importance of making the attitude or sentiment of love for Jesus Christ a habitual disposition in the passage today. “Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love. If you love your fellow men, you have carried out your obligations.” We have to live in such a way as to consider ourselves duty-bound to love Jesus Christ and show forth that love in our relationship with others. Living out this principle assures us of progress on the path to the banquet of heaven. The infinite wisdom of God knows our needs on the difficult path and sends us the Holy Spirit, who is the Love of the Father and the Son.

Living in love and with love is already a participation in the divine banquet, for the banquet is that of the Son of Man who feeds us with his body, blood, soul, and divinity. Therefore, all of us must arrive at the banquet hall of heaven clothed in his garment of love and self-sacrifice. We hear the Lord announce this to the crowds following him in the Gospel. “Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way, and he turned and spoke to them. “If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” We note that the Lord announces this love-demand to those already following him on the path; that means, they already believed, to an extent, in him. But, as we stated, faith is necessary, but not sufficient. We must set our hearts on the Son of Man before every other thing to make it to the banquet hall of heaven. The importance of prayerful meditation and contemplation of the life and Gospel of our Lord daily is also stressed by our Lord when he compared the journey to one who sits down to calculate whether what he has would build him a tower; and a king who considers the strength of his army and armoury before embarking on battle against another. We must marshal out every consideration in favour of our attending the banquet of heaven against all odds. “Happy the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in his commands. His sons will be powerful on earth; the children of the upright are blessed.”

Let us pray: Almighty and merciful God, by whose gift your faithful offer you right and praiseworthy service, grant, we pray, that we may hasten without stumbling to receive the things you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.   

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