Dem Don Invite You

November 5, 2024
Tuesday for di Week 31 for Ordinary Time
Di Readings for Today

Андрей Николаевич Миронов (A.N. Mironov), CC BY-SA 4.0, through Wikimedia Commons

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“One man prepare big dinner and invite plenty people. When time for di dinner reach, e send im servant make e tell di people wey e invite, ‘Make una come, everything don ready now.’ But one by one, all of dem begin give excuse why dem no fit come.” Luke 14:16–18

You dey ever give excuse to avoid wetin God want? You dey turn down His invitation to come chop for di table of His big dinner? More than any other thing, di invitation wey God don give us to dis “big dinner” na invitation to take part for Holy Mass and to pray. As some people dey always give excuse to turn down dis kind invitation, e show say dem no understand wetin dem don invite dem to. Other people dey come with dia body, but for inside dia heart, dem dey far from di feast wey dem come attend.

For dis parable, di guests wey dem invite no come, one after another. So di man wey prepare di dinner send invitation to “poor people, people wey dia body get disability, people wey no dey see, and people wey no fit waka well.” Dis one dey refer to di Jews for Jesus’ time wey recognise say dem need di gift of salvation. Na people wey know dia weaknesses and sins, and wey know say na Jesus be di answer.

After di poor people, people wey dia body get disability, people wey no dey see, and people wey no fit waka well don come for di feast, space still remain. So di man send im servants make dem invite people from “di main roads and di paths beside di hedges.” Dis one dey refer to how dem preach di Gospel to di Gentiles wey no be Jews by birth.

Today, dem still dey offer dis feast. But plenty Catholics wey no dey take dia faith serious dey refuse to come. Some people feel say dia life too busy for dem to get time for prayer and Mass. Na people wey don put dia whole mind for worldly pursuits, sotey dem no dey see much benefit for demself if dem devote demself to di celebration of di Holy Eucharist.

If you want dey among di people wey dey attend our Lord’s feast, you must make effort to see yourself as one of di poor people, people wey dia body get disability, people wey no dey see, and people wey no fit waka well. You must recognise how you don break for inside, your weaknesses and your sins. You no suppose fear to see yourself like dis, because na people like dis Jesus dey invite with deep longing. Dis longing na desire wey fill His whole being, for us to share for His love. He want love and heal people wey dey in need. Na we be di people wey dey in need.

When we come to our Lord’s Feast through prayer, through faithfulness to His Word, and as we dey take part for di Sacraments, we go notice say He want other people to join us for His feast. So we must also see ourself as those servants wey dem send go di main roads and di paths beside di hedges, where we go find people wey no dey follow wetin God want. We must invite dem. Even if dem no feel say dem belong there, God want make dem dey for His feast. Na we must invite dem.

Today, think deeply about two things. First, think about any excuse wey you dey always give when God invite you to pray, to grow deeper for your faith, and to take part for di Eucharist. You dey answer at once and with eagerness? Or you dey give excuse more often than you want admit? Think too about di duty wey God give you to go meet di souls wey don stray farthest, so you fit invite dem to God’s feast. Our Lord want make everybody know say dem don invite dem. Allow Him use you to carry His invitation go.

My generous Lord, You don invite me to share for di glory of Your great Feast. Every day, You dey invite me to pray, to grow strong for my faith, and to share for di Holy Eucharist. Make I always answer You, and make I never give excuse to turn down Your invitations. Abeg, dear Lord, use me too to carry Your invitation go meet di people wey need am pass. Jesus, na You I trust.