Jesus ... spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants ... Some ignored the invitation and went away one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

“Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell, it was love from above, that could save me from hell. She had fire in her soul it was easy to see how the devil himself could be pulled out of me. There were drums in the air as she started to dance, every soul in the room keeping time with their hands, and we sang ‘Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay’, and the voices rang like the angels sing, and we danced on into the night.”           

What are the best gifts? Probably, they have nothing to do with a price tag. The best gifts are personal to the one who gives them, or personal to the one who receives them. They are gifts that say “I’m sorry” to a parent or a friend or someone you may have offended in the past. They are gifts that say “I love you” to the special people in one’s life. Or they are gifts that say “I challenge you” to be the best person that you can be. The person in the song "Into the Night" feels that the woman in the relationship is truly a gift from heaven.

The song is one of those “happily in love” love songs, where everything is just fine, and lovers live happily ever after. Whether it will continue or not, the relationship at that moment in time, as he sings, is like a gift from the heavens. And as such, it is a treasure to be enjoyed. 

Jesus gave many gifts to those who chose to follow him while he was here on earth. By far the most important one was the invitation to his kingdom, that is, an invitation to change one's lifestyle. Such is the meaning of his story about the wedding feast for someone. Jesus’ invitation to his kingdom should change people’s lives. The invitation was given to certain people, and because they did not accept it, they did not change their lives. Now the invitation is given to all and it should change the people who receive it.

As we reflect on the fact that we are Christians, we recognize that we have received the gift of an invitation to Jesus' kingdom.  We are called to the kingdom in such a way that we have to make a radical change to enter it, symbolized in the wedding garment which was given at the door of the celebration, and so there was no excuse not to put it on. It means that we have to deliberately place upon ourselves the characteristics of the kingdom of Jesus, and in the process change radically for the better. And, just as the gift of a romantic love situation carries with it a certain degree of difficulty, change is not easy, and ultimately, it is why Jesus challenges us at the close his story: “Many are invited; but few are chosen.”                   

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you have given of us the gift of inviting us to be part of the kingdom promised by your Son, but you caution us to change as we accept the gift. May we understand that your invitation is a gift that should make us change our behavior so as to truly deserve your presence.  Be with us, we pray.

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America