As a young man Augustine of Hippo is said to have prayed: "Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet." Isn't that exactly the attitude of the invited guests in the Gospel today? They are interested in attending the banquet and know it is a good and favorable thing to do but are not willing to make the changes and sacrifices necessary to present themselves at the banquet to which they have been invited.

Far too often we knowingly or unwittingly decline God's invitations. Perhaps sometimes we are not even aware of a lot of them because we are too preoccupied with other things to notice them or they have been carefully screened or filtered out for us and so we do not have to deal with them. Or we promise ourselves that though we are too busy today, tomorrow we will get around to doing what we know we should be doing today, making the changes we know we could be making today and actually start loving others as we are loved by God.

Can we, like Jesus, empty ourselves? Can we release whatever prerogatives we think we have, set them aside today, and allow God to use us, fill us, empty us or ignore us however it may please God? Can we allow God to adjust our schedule and even bump the good and rewarding things we have planned for the day? Can we make our attitude that of Jesus even unto embracing our cross for the glory of God the Father?