By: Fr. John Jasica
FALL SERIES - HOLY ROAD TRIP
CHURCH SHOPPING TRIPS—ALWAYS FUN!!
One of the things that I do at least once a year ever since being ordained a priest is to take a special road trip—church shopping. This is not what you think. My church shopping trips are always to Toronto, making my rounds to 4 to 5 Catholic supply stores looking for what is new, what my churches need and often finding things that I wasn’t even looking for. This is an all-day event, and I often do not travel alone. That would not be as much fun!!
These church shopping adventures usually include parish staff and friends. We make it a full day event that includes some important preparation. Here is a checklist of what is needed for a fun-filled church shopping experience:
- Book a day that works for everyone
- Enter addresses into the GPS or smart phone
- Plan departure time & order of the visits
- Put together a good music playlist for the journey
- Fill the gas tank and have snacks/drinks ready
- Have back up plans to visit other stores (IKEA)
ACCEPTING THE INVITATION
Our fall message series is all about letting Jesus take the wheel. It is about surrendering control, embracing forgiveness, finding Christ and placing Him in the driver-seat and working together along the highway to heaven. This weekend the readings challenge us to accept the invitation to the ultimate road trip to the ultimate destination. So often we are the ones inviting Jesus to help us get to where we want to be and forget or ignore where he wants us to be. What are we actually being invited to attend?
A MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE
In the first reading this weekend, we hear from the prophet Isaiah. He tells the people of Israel and all of us that the Lord is inviting us to a high mountain for a feast filled with rich food and fine wine (and no calories!). What Isaiah is really inviting all of us to is the eternal banquet feast of heaven that will never end. What a powerful and beautiful image of what eternity will be like. A celebration that never stops!!
In this banquet feast comes peace, grace and light as Isaiah says that God will destroy the shroud of darkness over all peoples and swallow up death forever. He will wipe away the tears from our eyes!! Could we ever say no to this invitation?
THE KING’S BANQUET FEAST
In the gospel this weekend, Jesus tells the story of a king who invites friends to a wedding banquet for his son. Unfortunately, those who were invited offered many different excuses and were not interested in attending. They were distracted and focussed on their own lives and wants rather than celebrating with the king. The king then extended the invitation to everyone in the streets, both good and bad to celebrate together.
Jesus invites all of us to the banquet that begins through the gift of our baptism. The celebration is rooted in a life of faith here on earth that leads ultimately to the kingdom of heaven and the eternal banquet feast. Unfortunately, we too can often be too busy, too distracted and not interested in what God has to offer.
The celebration of the Eucharist is the eternal banquet feast of heaven here on earth. We are all invited to the table so that we can be nourished, fed and strengthened. We shouldn’t see it as an obligation to satisfy God, but a chance for the Lord to transform our lives. The banquet feast beckons us to praise the Lord, seek His grace and to support one another through life. Why would we ever say ‘no’ to what never fades away and that brings peace, grace and light to our hearts? Yet so many do.
WEARING THE PROPER CLOTHES
The gospel this weekend concludes with the king discovering someone at the banquet feast not wearing a wedding garment. Traditionally, a king would provide a wedding garment for all guests recognizing the importance of the event, unifying the guests as equals despite economic disparities, as a sign of honour and respect and an acceptance of hospitality. The guest who did not wear the provided garment did not surrender himself to the significance of the festivities and therefore was removed.
The gift of baptism is our garment that is to be worn at all times living a life of faith, love, mercy and grace. Christ our king, invites us to the banquet today living as faithful and loving disciples. Will we say ‘YES’?
- How can we live out our baptism better as faithful disciples in our families, work and parish life?
- We need to research, study and map out the journey of faith so we can reach that mountain top banquet
- Prioritize essentials for the journey and invite others
