Overview:

Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

A Reflection for Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’” (Lk 14: 15-20)

Find today’s readings here.

Is it just me, or does today’s Gospel sound like a group text with your friends?

Hey guys, everyone still up for dinner this weekend? Reservations set. Looking forward to seeing you all—it’s been too long.

Hey man, I’m so sorry, but I got slammed at work this week and I got to take it easy this weekend. Have a beer for me.

Oh, was dinner this Saturday? Mea culpa, I double booked. Maybe we can find another time? 

Yeah I’d love to try another date if we can. This weekend is tough for me too

One by one, they all began to excuse themselves.

It’s understandable, right? You make plans weeks in advance, but when the day arrives the thought of a night out after a long week seems more than you can handle. Easier to lay low at home and watch a movie.

But what do we miss when we skip out? Here’s one possibility: the kingdom of God.

Jesus is speaking in metaphors of course. The heavenly banquet in today’s Gospel is not the same thing as a Saturday night with friends. But—at least for me—meeting Jesus is far more likely if I am out there, rather than in here, typing at my computer. It’s no accident that Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a wedding banquet. That is where all the people are! Friends, family—the whole megilla. A taste, if we are lucky, of the banquet to come. 

It’s too easy these days to find reasons to stay home. (Thanks Reed Hastings!) Today Jesus says: come follow me, out the door and on to the feast. No need to R.S.V.P.

Tim Reidy joined America’s staff in October 2006 and served as online editor for several years before moving into his current role as the deputy editor in chief. Tim oversees America’s newsroom, directing its daily news coverage as well as working with the editorial leadership team to plan each print issue. Tim also edits the magazine’s Ideas section, where he contributes book reviews and essays. Before joining America, he worked at the Hartford Courant, a newspaper in Connecticut, and Commonweal magazine. In addition to writing for America, he has contributed to The New York Times, the Columbia Journalism Review and the Princeton Alumni Weekly. He has been interviewed about the Catholic Church on WNYC in New York, ABC, Bloomberg TV and other media outlets. Tim also serves on the board of directors of Jesuit Refugee Service USA. He lives in Bronxville, N.Y., with his wife and two children.