We long to go to God’s Kingdom and what we do on earth either contributes or hinders our ultimate goal. When we are consciously aware of this, we want to do what is humanly possible to secure our heavenly destination. We often hear heaven referred to as a great wedding banquet given by God and who would want to be left behind from attending such a feast? But, however strong our longing for heaven can be, as we hear in the Gospel proclamation, many cares and commitments in the world can deny us of the opportunity of finally reaching there. We are reminded that the invitation has already gone out if we care to accept it. What is our response to this invitation? Is it a resounding ‘yes’ or if not, what seems to be our excuse? It may be our careers, our possessions or perhaps our families that take up our time, energy and attention. As St. Paul reminds us, we are blessed with a variety of gifts and let us choose to exercise them to help us respond positively to our calling, so that we can reach our destination.

Prayer: Abba Father, strengthen us in mind, body and spirit, so that we may not falter in our response to your calling. Amen.