RSVP Today

RSVP Today

November 6, 2012

Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

By Beth DeCristofaro

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and, found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.  (Philippians 2:5-8)

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.'"  (Luke 14:23-24)

Piety

And I will live for the LORD.  (Psalm 22:31)

Study

Have you ever thrown a party and wondered who would come?  I have.  Once I threw a volunteer recognition party with more than 100 invitation issued.   Only 14 volunteers the staff assigned to work the party attended.  It was nerve-racking as the RSVP’s did not roll in.   And I wondered, why they didn’t realize how important this is…that they deserve this recognition.   Today we have so many competing “invitations” that invitations become less precious.

And I took it a little personally.  My efforts were unappreciated and my cause undervalued.  Of course, I’d done the same when I used my kids as an excuse to avoid an occasion and usually skipped any recognition for my volunteer efforts.  But my reasons are justified.  Of course.

Except that God’s Love is so much more brimming and expansive than mine, I might imagine God a bit piqued at my refusals of God’s invitations.  God, however, chose to be humiliated as the lowest of the lowly human and so reaches out both arms to me again in another invitation of love and life.   How many times must God drag me from the hedgerow before I accept the humility of living in God’s love rather than my own convenience?

Action

This week we have heard many stories of people themselves harmed by hurricane Sandy helping others.  When have I ignored God’s invitation to take on the mantle of humility and partake in his dinner invitation to care for another?  Ask God for eyes open to the divine invitations which are proffered every day.