Tuesday, November 6, 2018


Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

 (Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 14:15-24)

The parish has a small community named after Saint Monica.  She was the mother of Saint Augustine who prayed for her son’s conversion and lived to see it happen.  The small community took the name because its members were likewise praying for the conversion of their adult children. 

Young people are abandoning the faith in large numbers.  Although they are baptized and confirmed, they often report to have no religion at all. They seem like the invited guests in Jesus’ parable who do not show up for the wedding feast.  Like these guests, they have reasons for giving up on the faith.  They say clerical abuse, boring masses, and a lack of coherency between faith and lifestyle among Catholics have disillusioned them.  Will they be left out of the Kingdom of God?

We certainly hope not.  But we also must be clear.  The Kingdom of God is not for the average Alan or Allison.  One certainly does not have to be White or educated to belong, but one must have the same attitude as Jesus.  The first reading describes what that means.  We all fall short, but we can ask God’s mercy.  We only pray that youth today will remember to do that.