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7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 19/2/2017 - Gospel: Mt 5:38-48
Eternal banquet
Jesus taught us to forgive. He taught it by doing it. He carried the cross up on the road to the hill of Calvary and be nailed on the cross to show us God's love and mercy. Forgiveness is not an empty word but it must be in action. It is the sacrificial act that makes forgiveness worthwhile. In carrying the cross and dying on it to reconcile us to God the Father, Jesus showed us that sin breaks our relationships with God and to others because when we sin we sin against both God and God's children. The act of reconciliation helps us to restore relationship to God and befriending others. No matter how serious a sin we have committed it is reconcilable because God's love is much more powerful than our sin. The reconciliation enables God's grace to flow into our lives that empowers us to make friend with others. The act of reconciliation is the act of restoring relationships which were broken by sin. It becomes a channel for God's grace flowing into our lives that makes us be right with God again. The heavenly banquet is the sacrifice Jesus offered to the Father by his own life and blood poured out on the cross. Those who come to the heavenly banquet must first reconcile to God and to others before they can receive it otherwise they are not worthy to receive the heavenly banquet. Without proper preparation before receiving the heavenly banquet is a sign of disgrace to the loving God. The heavenly banquet is a sign and the reality of God's love and lack of love for the heavenly banquet is undeserving to receive it. It is an act of defile God's unconditional love for us. The value of the heavenly banquet is above the power of men and no one can harm or destroy it. However people who receive it without proper preparation is hurting his integrity caused by an error of judgement.

Eternal banquet is the reward God has prepared for those who for a whole life time tried to be friendly to everyone, to those whom they liked and to those whom they disliked. They reached out to everyone by praying for them and making petition to God for them. Jesus has prepared the heavenly banquet for those who love God and love others because by obedience to God the Father, Jesus entered the world and accepted death on the cross to reconcile us to God the Father. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Reconciliation Jesus, a sinless man, reconciled to the Father for sinners. Those who receive the Holy Communion must be friend of God and friend of others.

Every time we participate in the Eucharist we are taking part into the heavenly banquet which happened on earth but has its dimension in heaven. The Body and Blood of Christ we receive which is food for our souls. Our weakness is strengthened and our brokenness is healed and our sin is erased because the blood Jesus on the cross has the power to remove all stain of sin. The road to Calvary which Jesus took opened the way for us to enter the Eternal banquet. Every time we genuinely say sorry to God we receive forgiveness and every time we genuinely forgive others we reconnect the broken relationships and open the way for God's grace flowing into our lives.

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