Have you ever been invited to a wedding or a party but decided not to go because you were too busy? Perhaps you said, “I have too much work to do,” or “Maybe next time.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us about a king who prepares a wedding feast for his son. Everything is ready, yet many of the invited guests refuse to come because they have other priorities.
And if we are honest, we sometimes behave the same way. We become so busy with work, money, and daily worries that we forget to make time for God.
The problem is not that we have busy lives, but that God sometimes no longer has a place in our busy lives.
Yet God continues to invite us, even when we fail to respond. He welcomes sinners and broken people, but He also calls us to change our hearts and our lives. The wedding garment reminds us that we must clothe ourselves in faith, love, mercy, and compassion.
However, accepting God’s invitation also means taking seriously the dignity of every human person.
Before I continue, I want to say something personal. I have made it a point to avoid speaking about political matters in my homilies because I believe the pulpit should bring us closer to God rather than divide us along political lines. However, I feel that something happening in our country deserves a moral and ethical response.
Recently, the Secretary of Defense announced plans to livestream the scheduled execution by firing squad of the man, who was convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. The execution is scheduled for December 3, 2026.
Let me be clear: the killing of innocent people is horrific, and the victims and their families deserve justice, compassion, and support. Nothing I say diminishes their suffering.
Nevertheless, I believe that turning an execution into a livestreamed public spectacle is morally and ethically wrong. Justice should never become entertainment, and the taking of a human life should never be presented as a spectacle for people to watch.
As Christians, we must remember that even when someone commits a terrible crime, that person does not cease to be a human being. We can condemn evil, seek justice, and protect society while still recognizing the dignity of human life.
Our faith calls us to do more than punish wrongdoing; it calls us to reject cruelty and to uphold mercy. If we believe that every human being is created in the image of God, then that dignity cannot simply disappear because someone has committed a terrible sin.
This is also consistent with the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty, which teaches that human dignity is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes.
My concern is not about taking a political side. Rather, it is about asking whether our actions reflect the values of the Gospel we profess.
In today’s Gospel, God invites everyone to His feast, but He also expects us to put on the garment of a transformed heart. And that garment must include compassion, respect for human dignity, and a commitment to peace.
In the second reading, St. Paul teaches us that he has learned to live in both abundance and need because Christ gives him strength. He reminds us that our faith must sustain us even in difficult circumstances.
Likewise, Christ gives us the strength to stand for what is right, even when doing so is uncomfortable. He calls us to speak with courage, but also with humility and love.
Let’s ask ourselves three simple questions.
Are we making time for God, or have we allowed other priorities to take His place?
Are we allowing our faith to change the way we treat others, especially those who are suffering or difficult to love?
And do our words and actions defend human dignity, or do they contribute to a culture that celebrates cruelty?
God continues to invite us to His feast. Therefore, let us respond by putting on the garment of love, mercy, justice, and compassion. Let us support victims, stand against evil, and remember that every human life has dignity.
And when life becomes difficult, let us remember the words of St. Paul: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
May Christ give us the courage to do what is right, the wisdom to recognize what is wrong, and the compassion to treat every person with dignity.
The true test of our faith is not only whether we come to church, but whether we carry the love of Christ into the world. Amen
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