Jesus says to us, Behold, I have prepared my banquet and everything is ready; come to the feast.
St. Benedict responds by asking us, What, dear ones, is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us?
An invitation; we've been given a personal invitation to deepen our relationship with God. We've been invited to be present to love; invited to open our hearts and let them be filled as only God can fill them.
This invitation is not a one-time special offer. God invites us each and every day and each moment of our lives. There is no RSVP with this invitation. However, there are choices to be made with each invitation. We can ignore the invitation, decline it, or accept it.
We can ignore those crying in pain, ignore those stripped of their dignity, ignore those living in oppression. We can decline the opportunity to be attentive to others' needs, decline to stand up in solidarity for what is right, decline to love our neighbors as ourselves.
When we accept God's invitation in our lives, we give of our time and talents for the sake of others, we anticipate one another's needs; we accept our crosses which we are asked to bear.
We have been invited; everything has been prepared for us; the feast awaits us. Come...RESPOND!
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