Are We Really Too Busy to Accept God’s Invitation?

How often do we say, “I am busy”? Someone asks us for help, invites us somewhere, or suggests that we spend time together, and this is our response. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by responsibilities. Today’s Gospel invites us to consider a question: Are we really too busy to accept God’s invitation?

Being busy means that our time and attention are occupied. We have things to do, people to care for, and responsibilities to fulfil. Yet busyness also raises a question about our priorities, as we cannot complete everything at once. What receives our attention, and what do we repeatedly leave until later?

In the Gospel this weekend, a king prepares a wedding feast for his son. He sends servants to bring the guests, but they refuse to come with some excuses. Some ignore the invitation and go away, one to his farm and another to his business. Their attention is occupied with what they have already planned and prioritised. An invitation shows that we are wanted. The king has prepared a place for his guests and desires their presence at his son’s celebration.

We do not deny that farming and running a business are worthwhile activities. They provide food, employment and support for families. Yet these guests allow their own affairs to take precedence over the invitation. They carry on with their familiar routine and miss the celebration prepared for them. Ordinary concerns can gradually fill our lives so completely that we give little attention to God.

Yes, we recognise that people carry real responsibilities and burdens. A parent caring for children, a person supporting a family through long hours of work, or someone looking after a sick spouse may have very little energy remaining. God sees these demands. Love expressed through such responsibilities can itself be a faithful response to his call.

Still, each of us needs to examine honestly how we spend our time and what we mean when we say, “I am too busy.” Perhaps we have some freedom to choose how we spend our time. We may discover that we regularly make room for entertainment, shopping or scrolling through our phones, while prayer is continually postponed. Our habits can reveal the priorities we have established.

Think about receiving an invitation from someone you love. The invitation matters because the person matters to you. You consider how you might attend. You may rearrange your plans. Your response expresses the value you place on that relationship.

God invites us into a relationship with him. If we always wait until our lives become quiet, we may keep postponing our response. There will usually be another task, another concern or another appointment. We can begin to make room for God within the life we have today.

We might also ask whether we approach God as another item on our list. A relationship grows through attention and presence. Even a brief prayer can become a sincere response when we pause quietly, listen and offer God what is happening in our daily lives.

Here in the Eucharist, Christ gathers us and gives himself to us, drawing us more deeply into his life and his work among his people. We bring our crowded minds, unfinished work and personal worries. As we listen to his Word and receive him, we ask him to guide our priorities and strengthen us for the responsibilities awaiting us.

This week, let us choose one concrete response. We might set aside a few minutes each morning for prayer, protect time for Sunday Mass, visit someone who is lonely, or begin a conversation that could lead to reconciliation. A small, faithful response can open our lives more fully to God.

Our days may remain busy. We may still have plenty to do when we leave this church. But we can pause and carry God’s presence into those responsibilities and give him our attention along the way. His invitation reaches us today. Let us receive it with gratitude and answer it through the way we live.

Peace and love – Fr Minje