speak now or forever hold your peace

Ezekiel 36:23-18; Psalm 51 I will pour clean water on you and wash away your sins; Matthew 22:1-14

I came across a quote this morning that I thought might be useful to keep in one's back pocket or rolled up in one's sleeve just in case of an emergency...The quote deals with the words of Jesus and it goes as follows...

"I have a mustard seed and I am not afraid to use it."

I think it is grand. I have a mustard seed and I am not afraid to use it. The same mustard seed that can tell this mountain to be uprooted and be thrown into the sea. Yeah, that one.


I have a mustard seed, and I am not afraid to use it! Do you have a mustrad seed? Have you used yours lately?

Today we celebrate the Feast of John Eudes, the guy in the picture above. HE lived in the 17th century and was canonized May 31, 1925.

So to get today rolling I thought I might just include a few quotes from him, like black coffee running through our veins:

"Let us therefore give ourselves to God with great desire to begin to live thus, and beg Him to destroy in us the life of the world of sin, and to establish his life within us."

"Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make His spirit, His devotion, His affections, His desires, and His disposotion to live and reign there."

As for the gospel we read, "But when the king came in to meet the guest he saw a man there not dressed in a weddign garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you cam ein here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. The king said to his attendant, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen."

A stark reality check is given us today.

Often times we hear these words, "speak now or forever hold your peace" in movies associated with a wedding ceremony. It happens right before the vows are exchanged. It is an opportunity to speak, to let all know whether or not this marriage should take place. Once the exchange happens all words must fall mute.

When the opportuntiy is given, then we must rise to meet the challenge.

The man in the gospel was given to opportunity to speak. He was addressed by the King with a question. THe king was waiting for the reply, eagerly anticpating a response. But the man missed his opportunity. He held his peace and was found wanting. He did not rise to meet the challenge.

"Speak or foever hold your peace."

The gospel reminds us that we must act now, respond today. We cannot wait for another chance or for a better situation or scenario. The one given today is the one by which we meet God face to face. Do not hold your tongue but rather speak the answer he longed to hear, just make sure while you speak you have also clothed yourself in the proper attire, chairty and humility, will do just fine.

Silence is golden, but sometimes the choicest words are better than fine wine.