Heavenly banquet is by invitation only, Pope tells congregation
November 05, 2013
Admission to the heavenly banquet is available to by invitation only, Pope Francis told his congregation at a morning Mass on November 5.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel (Lk 14:15-24), which told the parable of the man giving a banquet, the Pope said that “we can only become Christians if we are invited.” The “free invitation” comes from God, he said; “we cannot pay to enter.”
“We are invited freely, through the pure grace of God, through the Father’s pure love,” the Pope continued.
Commenting on the people who give excuses for not attending the banquet in the Gospel story, the Pope said that some Christians, too, are satisfied with an invitation, and do not respond. The Pope said: “If you do not enter the banquet, you are not a Christian; you will be on the list, but this does not help your salvation.”
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Posted by: jg23753479 -
Nov. 06, 2013 9:32 AM ET USA
I'll lay 5 to 1 these comments do not make the pages of the New York Times or other publications wont to quote Francis lately. There is really no way they can be twisted to fit the world view of people disposed to reading these outlets for ''respectable thought''.
