Come, won't you come?

From today's reading: "Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' " Matthew 22:8-9

(If you follow the Mission St. Clare daily office, you will have noticed that today's gospel reading was incorrect. It should have been Matthew 22:1-14.)

I lost a friend once by saying, "I cannot come..." The truth is we have choices to make in this world, and sometimes there are things that take precedence over others. I helped celebrate a wedding two weeks ago and the bride was okay that certain family members from out of state couldn't make it, but her daughters were upset that the favored uncle didn't show up. In this age and economy, time and distances and circumstances (work, previous commitments, etc.) sometimes keep us from doing things we might really want to do.

In today's reading, the implied invitation is from God to the Jews - most of whom ignored the message. Matthew's community was kicked out of the synagogue and persecuted by the elders who refused to accept the message of Jesus. When the Jews refused to answer the call, then the young Christians turned their message to the gentile community, inviting in anyone who would listen. And the message still goes out today to anyone who is willing to listen and to come in. Christmas and Easter remain our two biggest selling points. Everyone who hears the message has the option of choosing to come in or to remain outside. Consider inviting someone to come to church on Christmas Eve to discover the blessing in the birth of the Christ child.