St. James the Greater Church in Eau Claire shared a note from Rev. Tom Krieg on the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. 

"Like last week's Gospel story, this one also has the historical setting of the frustration the early Christians, who were Jewish, had with their fellow Jews who would not accept Jesus as the promised Messiah," Rev. Krieg wrote. "They are like the invited guests who refused to come."

Individuals who heard the parable may have been shocked and thought that the king was unfair: He first basically commanded the guests to come and then punished a guest who was not dressed appropriately. The factor that we must see and consider is that we are called to come to the feast, but if we fail to cooperated and bring the right perspective of humility and adoration, we will miss the main point.

Recently at a funeral for a deacon, Rev. Krieg wrote that we must lean on the Lord. If we do, there will be no fear in this life or at the end of this life. 

"Friends, what a joy it is to celebrate a funeral for someone for whom that statement rings true. I am continually inspired by people who look to God to save them—not in some passive way but by living in the expectation that love will win the day and so they join the fight," Rev. Krieg wrote. 

Even in our weakest moments, we still can turn to God for his strength. Our suffering and challenges of life can bring us to an existential crisis, asking why we are here on this earth and why we are not as happy as we would like to be. 

"As much as I like to be comfortable, secure and cared for, that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to serve God and deepen my relationship with God. Knowing this, I can better live one day at a time, knowing that in my joy or in my pain I can serve God by loving others," Rev. Krieg wrote.