Today is a special day in our Church calendar. It is the Third Sunday after Pentecost, which extends to us all an invitation to the kingdom of God.
Today’s Gospel gives us Jesus’ parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:16–24), in which many of those invited found excuses not to attend. It reminds us that the concerns and tasks of everyday life, important though they are, must not overshadow life’s most important invitation.
Today, 29 June, we also celebrate the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. This fits well with the principal theme of the Sunday, for it was they—one a fisherman and the other a scholar—who accepted Jesus’ call and devoted their whole lives to carrying Christ’s invitation to the kingdom of God onward. Their courage, faith and deeds are an example to us, and their letters continue to inspire us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus today.
Thus, God’s call and the human response to it are woven together on this day. Jesus invites us to the feast, and Peter and Paul show us what it means to say yes to that invitation. May the Spirit of God give us open ears and hearts!
A blessed Feast of the Apostles and Lord’s Day, and welcome to church!
