Lk 21:5-11 Cheerful And Holy

Tuesday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time

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One of those at table with Jesus said to him, "Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God."  He replied to him, "A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many...But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves..."

Excuses, excuses, excuses.  It seems to me we all know how to have fun the evil way.  What we don't know how to do is have fun the holy way.  We all know how to get people to laugh the gossipy or crude way.  What we don't know how to do is make people laugh the right way.  

So why do we keep excusing ourselves from holiness; that is, from real fun?  I think it may be due to the fact that we take ourselves, our business, our plans far too seriously.  That's right!  We can be seriously wild or seriously numb. 

I have my plans.  We all have heard the joke:  "How do you make God laugh?"  Answer:  "Tell him all your plans!"   It is not a bad idea to have plans, but it is a bad idea to be held hostage by them, even to the point of declining an invitation to sit at the Lord's table!

At first, the problem may appear to be that we do not see the benefits of being holy.  How will being holy make me happy?  But I think the real problem is we do not see the catastrophes of not being holy.  Parents, friends and the entertainment industry (Hollywood and the music industry) do a great job at hiding this from everyone.

I want to be free!  I want to be wild!  Great!  But are you leaving the people who love you the most out of your life?  Or are you leaving them to pick up the mess after you?

I want to be a straight A student.  Great!  But just remember: people created grades, not God. This is a man-made invention.  So are you willing to do this at all cost and with the loss of family (parents and siblings), of friends, of prayer and Sunday Mass?  

Consider me excused.  I will never forget a high school student who was once full of life.  Unfortunately, she began to hang out with the wrong crowd.  Everyone knew it, including her, but she did not care.  She wanted to have a good time.  She would often tell us to "mind our own business."   One day, I asked her what she thought of her old friends, the friends she no longer hung out with.  She said they lived boring lives.  

Today, her "boring" friends continue to go to Mass, are married, live in a beautiful home and have children.  All of them graduated from College (one with straight A's), and are enjoying the fruits of their hard labor.  

On the other hand, this young lady is still living with her parents, going to therapy and has not been able to keep a job.  She thought holiness was boring and did not have any patience for God, for family or for time.  What was her problem?  She took life way too seriously and tried to rush through it.     

We have to be careful not to err on the serious sides of life.  Straight A's are great, but only if you do not give up everyone and everything for them.  Parties are great, but only if you do not give into everything and everyone for them.  Seriousness is awfulness, because everyone expects you to perform a certain way.  On the contrary, holiness is exciting because no one knows what to expect from you. 

Bring the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame here.  Have you ever noticed how the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame can be more cheerful then the wealthy and the healthy? 

Today, the Lord is inviting us to learn how to make fun out of life.  Take the seriousness out of it and be holy.  Yes, you do not have to gossip about someone to have a little giggle.  Have some real fun.  Don't be serious.  Be holy!   Drop what you are doing and come to the Lord's banquet.  Otherwise, the most-unlikely-to-succeed will, and at your expense.