A while back, Tim McGraw released a song entitled, “Humble and Kind”.  It’s a good song that offers good life advice. There is one verse I would like to share.

“Don’t expect a free ride from no one 

Don’t hold a grudge or a chip and here’s why 

Bitterness keeps you from flyin’

Always stay humble and kind.”

Bitterness keeps you from flyin’.  There is wisdom in that thought.  Don’t let bitterness steal your joy.

Connecting to today’s gospel. Don’t allow the pains, injustices and struggles of life settle into a bitterness of heart that robs you of your wedding garment.

The wedding banquet the king holds in today’s gospel is sheer gift. The doors are opened, all are invited, no one is worthy, all are welcome! It is like our baptism. It is sheer gift!  It is welcome into newness of life!  Joy is the wedding garment. Somehow this man lost his joy, and without that joy he could not authentically enter the banquet. Bitterness keeps you from flyin’.   The man is reduced to silence in the presence of the king.

The man is a caution for all of us because in life we will experience pain, injustice, struggle, loss, and, in all of this, bitterness can take root and it can keep us from entering the banquet.

Here are three ways on how to negate bitterness.

Call upon the Holy Spirit. In the Creed, we proclaim the Holy Spirit to be the Lord, the Giver of life. When the Holy Spirit is present, bitterness cannot take root. Daily call upon the Holy Spirit. Every day say, “Holy Spirit, I need you. Please do not leave me.”

Practice gratitude. We so often focus on doing for others that we forget there is a virtue found in authentically welcoming the gifts and help of others, and there is a joy found in simply saying, “thank you”.  Today’s second reading was written by a man who knew the value of gratitude. “Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.”

Cultivate hope. Hope is a theological virtue. It is found and known only in a lived relationship with God. The vision of hope we have is the mountain of the Lord proclaimed by Isaiah in the first reading. God will destroy death.  God, in tender love, will wipe away every tear and heal every wound. No injustice goes unseen by God. Every injustice will be answered. Look to the mountain of the Lord. Cultivate hope.

The man in today’s parable is a caution to all of us. Bitterness can keep you from flyin’. Bitterness can steal our wedding garment. 

Call upon the Holy Spirit. Practice gratitude. Cultivate hope.

Enter the wedding banquet clothed in joy!