Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 22, 1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, 
“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Celebrate

1) His son. How often do we try to give our best, only for someone to come along and discourage us or dampen our joy? There are moments when we are ready to celebrate life, and then someone appears to ruin the music. It’s part of life to encounter people who make things difficult; there are people who can’t bear to see us happy and may even believe they’re doing something right by bringing us down. Don’t let them make you bitter. Learn instead to protect your peace and be discerning about whom you share your dreams and goals with.

2) They refused. There are people who, instead of sharing in your joy as if it were a celebration, respond as though they were attending a funeral. I remember once experiencing a beautiful moment of joy in my priestly life, only to meet a colleague who quickly deflated it by pointing out everything I had done wrong. At times, keeping joy alive can be a real challenge, but it’s essential if we want to grow. Don’t give space in your life to those who are always preparing for your defeat.

3) Bind them. It’s important to understand that you can’t put your life on hold because of people who only want to see you fail or fall apart. Focus instead on doing God’s will and on what truly brings Him glory and gives you inner peace. Sometimes you need to step away from those who don’t help you live out God’s purpose, especially when they try to lock you into the version of yourself they expect you to be. Don’t become a people-pleaser simply to satisfy others. Remember the greatness God has prepared for your life and learn to live with both faith and realism.

Never forget that something good is on the way!

God bless you and guard you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.