Homily: Twentieth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Homily: Twentieth Thursday of Ordinary Time (Mt. 22:1-14) “Teeth Will Be Provided”

A preacher was once giving a sermon on this Gospel. He made the point that people should not turn down the invitation that Jesus gives to his wedding banquet or there will be consequences. The sermon was full of fire and brimstone. When he concluded, he said that if people did not respond to Jesus they would be left to wail and grind their teeth. An elderly man in the front row of the church was a little annoyed with the priest so he decided to challenge him. “Father, I have no teeth, what then?” The priest without missing a beat said, “Then teeth will be provided.”

We can read the Gospel today and our Eucharistic celebrations can come to mind. Jesus invites all believers to come to Mass on Sunday, but now about 25% of Catholics come to Mass. There are many reasons for this. We might speculate that people are mad at church hierarchy because of scandals of various types, and this is a way to express this anger. Another reason could be that people in our society have forgotten the religious significance of the Sabbath. Sunday has become like any other day. Finally, we could guess that people are just lax in their religious practice. The zeal that should be there is not there.

There are places throughout the world where it is much more difficult to attend Mass. In many nations people will walk for miles so that they might receive the Eucharist. In other societies if one attends Mass they might face religious persecution, but they go anyway. These examples should challenge us.

Who do we hurt when we don’t celebrate the Eucharist. If we believe that the Eucharistic celebration is the chief way that we encounter the risen Lord in our life, then the main person we are harming is ourselves. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. We receive grace when we go to Mass. This means we grow in our relationship with God. The grace is a gift. Why would we turn down such a gift?

Reflection Questions:

1.    Why do I attend Mass? Have I ever shared my reasons with someone else?

2.    Would I turn down a dinner invitation from a dear friend without good reason? How is that like not attending Mass?

 Dear Parishioners,

           Seventeenth Avenue is now open to through traffic. The street has been repaired. We are all going to have to exhibit a lot of patience in the weeks ahead. It will not be as easy to park in the street nor approach the church from the East. I would encourage people to walk down the south side of the street on the sidewalk. The sidewalk will be closed on the north side of Seventeenth Ave.

          I would also remind people that it is still possible to park in the parking lot on the north side of the church. Just go up the alley off 13th Street. If you are running late this is a good option to use.

          Please be alert for pedestrians around the church. Safety should be our primary concern.

          May Our Lady of Peace pray for our divided world.

          Fr. Mark