The Invitation

~~~ Saint Pius X, Pope ~~~

~~~ Ezekiel 36:23-28 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 22:1-14 ~~~

Have you ever failed to RSVP before attending a party?

Have you just ignored an invitation just because

 a better invitation came in the mail? 

Have you ever received an invitation to an event

 that you really had no interest in attending at all?

Have you ever just completely

 threw an invitation into the trash can?

The king planned a grand party. 

He sent out invitations to all the most distinguished guests.

As the hour for the festivities draws close the guests were not arriving.

He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,

but they refused to come.

Why do you suppose they did not want to come?

He had his servants prepare the best possible foods.

A second time he sends out his servants

 to give the guests a preview of the menu.

But still they refused to attend the king's party.

They were being called to party with the king

 but found reasons for not showing up.

If this king just happened to be God or Jesus, do you think 

they might have had a different response?

So often this is exactly the case; Jesus is sending his invitations

 out to us and we toss them aside.

We ignore them...we pretend they never came...we busy

 ourselves with less important matters.

God extends an open invitation for us to come to his home for the feast.

The king eventually scraped his guest list 

and invited the street people to his celebration.

The servants went out into the streets

and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,

and the hall was filled with guests.

Where would you place yourself?

Is your name on the guest list or did you get invited off of the street?

There is just one thing...if you do get invited to come to the feast

 you must be dressed properly.

The wedding garment for the heavenly feast

 is one of a repentant heart.

You must come ready with a clean heart

 one free from all hatred and evil.

One must be clothed in the fabrics of love, compassion, 

patience, kindness, forgiveness 

and all other qualities of finer goodness.

There will be no place at the wedding feast for those

 who come unwilling to live a life of love.

Blessings come...open your invitation...

RSVP...dress up...

show up...

it is the grand feast.

~~~ Peace ~~~