“And they began all at once to make excuse.” St. Luke 14:18.

These must have been very ill bred and discourteous people who so rudely declined a friendly invitation to a magnificent banquet. Enraged at their conduct, the one who invited them (as the parable shows us), excluded them forever from his table. Do not the majority of Catholics, act in the same way towards their Lord and God? He invites them to His first Supper, in which He gives us His own Flesh and Blood as our food and drink; and yet, how many there are who make excuses, and despise that precious Banquet, by going but seldom to holy Communion! He invites us to the heavenly Marriage-feast, that we may share with them forever in all imaginable and unimaginable delights; but how many excuse themselves and refuse to come, because they prefer to indulge in forbidden pleasures, and glut themselves with the husks of swine! Daily, He invites sinners, to His grace and friendship. He calls upon them to be converted and do penance, and promises that He will forgive them everything, so that they may not be excluded from His heavenly marriage-feast; but how many there are who make excuses, and reject the proffered grace by constantly deferring repentance and conversion to some indefinite time, saying always, by way of answer to their long-suffering Lord: I will come, but not now: later on; I will do penance and be converted, but not immediately; at some other time! In view of this insulting and injurious treatment of our best Friend, let us consider, to day

I. The majesty and mercy of Him who invites the sinner to repentance; and

II. The insult and insults offered to God by the procrastinating sinner.