"Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Matthew 22:14
Have you ever been invited to an event, but just didn't feel like going? Maybe you had better things to do, a busy schedule, or some other business that needed your attention. Then, maybe you heard about the event after the fact and how great it was and wished that you had attended.
The Gospel reading for this weekend from St. Matthew finds Jesus once again sharing a parable with the chief priests and the elders. This time it involves a wedding feast. A king gives his son a wedding feast and invites the special guests, but they refused to come. He invites them again, sharing about all that he'd prepared and what would be there, but again they found excuses not to be there. Some, in fact, even mistreated and killed those who delivered the message. The king was so enraged that he in turn destroyed the murderers and burned their city. Then the king invited others around town, really anyone who wanted to come, such that the hall was then filled. But one man was there who was not properly dressed. The king called him out, and the servants cast him into the darkness.
In this parable, the King is God, and His son is Jesus. The first set of invitees are the Jews, the chosen ones, who refused to attend. The second group are the Gentiles and those from all walks of life, willing to accept God's invitation. But who is the man who came but was not dressed properly? Maybe it was a believer, but who was living a sinful life. He answered the call, but didn't want to put on the garment of charity, joy, hope, love and kindness. Perhaps the garment he wore was his attachment to selfish pride, greed, anger, gluttony, and many other faults that can cause us to be separated from God. He had the desire to be at the feast, but wasn't prepared due to his weakness.
Our Lord invites all to come to the heavenly banquet. Do you want to accept His invitation, and if so, are you willing to change your life, amend your ways, and live the life that God has created and called you to live? It's easy to say yes, but harder to fully commit and follow through. It takes courage to give ourselves to the Lord. Pray for that courage to say yes and to go all in today.
Reflection by:
Bishop Gregory Parkes
Did you know...
Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes is the fifth Bishop of St. Petersburg. Prior to his appointment to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Bishop Parkes served as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee from 2012-2016. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Orlando on June 26, 1999. Before answering the call to the priesthood, Bishop Parkes worked for several years in Tampa's banking industry.
