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HOMILY FOR TUESDAY, 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [YEAR A]
THEME: STOP THE EXCUSES
By: Fr. Karabari Paul
‘Come; for all is now ready. But they all alike began to make excuses.’
In today’s Gospel (Luke 14:15-24), Jesus told the story of a man who planned a banquet and invited several guests. Listen to some of their excuses for not attending. ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it.’ ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them’ ‘I have married a wife.’ So the host said, ‘None of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’
The excuses for skipping the banquet are laughably bad. No one buys land without seeing it first, and the same can be said for buying oxen. And what, exactly, would keep a newly married couple from attending a social event? All three excuses in the parable revealed insincerity on the part of those invited. The interpretation is that the Jews of Jesus’ day had no valid excuse for spurning Jesus’ message; in fact, they had every reason to accept Him as their Messiah
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Maybe we think we are different, that we have a good reason for saying no to God. But is it worth missing our destiny for? When God speaks to us, that is the moment of truth! At that point we either make a commitment or make an excuse. There and then we are deciding your destiny!
What is God asking us to do? What is making us hesitate? Fear of failure? Fear of being criticised? Fear usually comes dressed up as an excuse. And every time we waver or pull back, we lay another brick in the wall that will ultimately keep us from reaching our God-ordained destiny. Author John Mason says, ‘Opportunity is often lost in deliberation.’ So if God is telling us to do something, let us take His hand and move forward in faith. We can’t control the direction of the wind, but by God’s grace, we can adjust our sails to take us where we need to go. The great educator and scientist George Washington Carver said, ‘Ninety-nine per cent of failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.’ Remember, opportunity is a visitor: don’t assume it will be back tomorrow.
Those who ignored the invitation to the banquet chose their own punishment; they missed out. The master respects their choice by making it permanent: they would not “taste of my banquet.” So it will be with God’s judgment on those who choose to reject Christ: they will have their choice confirmed, and they will never taste the joys of heaven. And this is the age of excuses. May we never be part of those that will miss heaven. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our world and land, bless and protect us all through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning
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