Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God

6 NOVEMBER (Lk 14,15-24)

Always the pious Israelite “imagined the beauty of God’s house and dreamed of living in it all the days of his life.” However, these were not dreams and fantasies that came from his heart; but it was the Spirit of the Lord who put these desires, these visions, these images in the heart. Never might a man without the work of the Holy Spirit rise to the contemplation of the heavenly things. They are too high for his small, poor and wretched humanity. With the Spirit of God, everything becomes possible.
How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! (Psalm 84 (83) 1-13).
Faith needs these “dreams” and these “imaginations”, the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God in man. Saint Paul speaks to us of his visions that gave a new meaning to his whole existence. His life changed radically with a vision.
I must boast; not that it is profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know someone in Christ who, fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows), was caught up to the third heaven. And I know that this person (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things, which no one may utter. About this person I will boast, but about myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. Although if I should wish to boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be telling the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. (2Cor 12,1-7).
Today, Jesus states it very clearly: the kingdom of heaven is entered by invitation. It is the Father of heaven, who for his great mercy and goodness, opens us the doors of his kingdom. No man can claim any right. The kingdom of God is a most pure gift.

One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “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.’ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'”

God invites everyone. However, many do not accept his invitation. They have more important things to do. Rather than choosing eternity with God, man prefers a few moments of time with himself and with his things. This is true foolishness and ignorance. Today, who must invite man to accept the invitation to enter into the kingdom of God, is the Christian. But this today, is a crippled. He is a deaf, blind, lame, dumb, and lazy man; he is even a false apostle and missionary, since he proclaims that one can enter into the room of the eternal banquet without even responding to the invitation during his earthly life. With this teaching the whole Gospel is declared useless.
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us wise and learned.