Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
The man in Luke 14 had made all the plans for a big dinner. But when it was ready, everyone had an excuse: a field that had to be examined, oxen that had to be evaluated, a bride who needed attention. Everything but their commitment to the host was
important. And so, their places were taken by the poor, those with disabilities, strangers the host didn’t even know.
Sound familiar? Who among us hasn’t said yes to an engagement, only to decide we instead need some “me” time… or get a “better,” more exciting offer from someone else. We make our excuses, and don’t give it a second or third thought.
It’s poor form to treat people that way. It endangers our salvation when we treat the Lord that way. And we do it all too often. We’re out of town, and it’s too big a hassle to get to Mass. We receive the Eucharist every week, but we haven’t been to confession in years because the lines are too long or we just don’t like the idea of a priest knowing what we did and besides, God knows anyway. We don’t show up when it’s our turn to help at the homeless shelter or spend an hour in adoration because we know someone else will cover for us.
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
