Parable of the Great Banquet: Luke 14: 15-24, by Thomas Keating

Fr. Thomas Keating and two other Trappists began the Centering Prayer movement in the 1970's to renew the Christian tradition of contemplation. Go to Contemplative Outreach which he co-founded, at www.contemplati..., for more information on Centering Prayer, including resources, retreats and local chapters that offer support to practitioners at all levels in the U.S. and around the world.
This talk was Fr. Thomas' homily from the mass at the 2002 Contemplative Outreach Annual Conference in Nashville, TN, and until now had been unavailable since the days of VHS videocassettes.
Luke 14: 15-24 (RSV):
When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

[@BobBKooenabio]

Thank you Fr. Keating. Veronica OCDS R. I. ❤

[@lindastogsdill9852]

This is truth we can't ignore but must incorporate

[@marywangui7432]

Such deep revelation and rare gem.