31ST TUESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 14:15-24) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.” (Lk 14:24)

FIRST READING - Rom 12:5-16a

"So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another."

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ^[a] and individually parts of one another. ⁶ Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them:^[b] if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; ⁷ if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; ⁸ if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others,^[c] with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁹ Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; ¹⁰ love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. ^14 [d]Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 14:15-24

"Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

¹⁵ One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁶ He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. ¹⁷ When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ 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.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ ²⁰ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ 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.’ ²² The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ ²³ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. ²⁴ For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

31ST TUESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 14:15-24)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

In today’s Word of God, God reminds all His children that if the grace and blessings He has bestowed from the very beginning of creation until now are not accepted by humanity, it will be like the situation of the master who prepared a great banquet and invited guests, but they all made excuses and refused to come.

Those who reject the grace of God will also be cast out and will not have the opportunity to enjoy the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven when He calls them out of this world.

The grace that God the Father gives consists of the Holy Masses, prayers, hours of reflection, the good teachings and the sacred rituals He has given to the Church.

Those who do not accept the grace will be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven when God calls them out of this world.

That is a great punishment for the souls who refuse to accept the grace and blessings God bestows.

Today’s Word of God also serves as a warning for those who only care for worldly pleasures and seek selfish enjoyment, and they will be targeted by Satan, who seeks every opportunity to draw such souls away from the loving embrace of God the Father.

Satan will do everything to prevent these souls from sharing in the heavenly banquet.

Like the guests in today’s Gospel, those souls will be barred from the wedding feast forever by the master. Therefore, all the banquets that God the Father prepares for humanity in this world are opportunities for us to receive His grace and love in our hearts, so that we can live in accordance with them.

If we refuse, our hearts and bodies will be filled with worldly passions and fleeting pleasures, which cannot nourish the soul, but prevents God’s blessings, love, and light and deprives us of the grace that will prepare us for eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.

God the Father will exclude from His loving embrace those souls who refuse the grace He offers.

When the souls are given with opportunity, but not accept it, they will experience great suffering when He calls them out of this world.

Thanks be to God. Amen.