Matthew 22:1-10
          You're invited !

          1And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast;but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, `Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' 5 But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' 10 And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 

        The reading today speaks of invitations offered and declined. It also speaks of extending invitations to those who would not have otherwise been invited.  

       Jesus came to redeem the lost sheep of Israel. But as any 'parent' will tell you, there can really be no favorites. Each child may be different but you love each one no more than the other. You appreciate, love and embrace the differences in your children. I imagine that is the same with God and as Jesus, it is the same. So we find Jesus ministering to everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. His love really had no bounds. How could he limit his message of love and life? Even within the history of the Church following Jesus' death, the message and faith was not limited to the Jewish population that Jesus primarily spent time with. After all he was a Jew himself. The church discerned  the movement of the Spirit and opened up the message to everyone and the Good News spread due to the faith and diligence of the Apostles  and on and on.

      The reading today speaks of a wedding feast. The invited guests, the chosen one's (to attend), turned their back on the invitation and the a whole new group was summoned to celebrate the feast.

      I cannot help but think of my own marriage, made possible in this great state only last year.  I can see a parallel to this scripture and the current state of marriage in the world.  Legal marriage was essentially limited to heterosexuals. What is the state of the institution today? What is the divorce rate? What is the rate of infidelity? How high has that risen?  And aside from the failure of so many marriages, what is state of morals in society? This all seems like people declining God's invitation to love. It seems that the gay community is the one that is seeking approval for legally sanctioned, committed long term relationships. Heterosxuals have given us brothels, "titty bars",  and weekend pickup joints.  It would be completely wrong to attribute amoral behavior to the gay community alone when the population at large is perhaps more guilty of amorality.

    The scriptural analogy is that heterosexuals have turned their backs in many ways on a moral life and so now, the institution of marriage is now open to homosexuals as well.  The message goes to one group and winds up going to all. Actually the need for us to live with a soul mate, straight or gay is probably a more representative translation of the creation accounts. 'It is not right for man to be alone'.

      This is not to be an effort at bashing the heterosexual community.  Simply, to acknowledge that amorality exists in every community. It is faith and love and our committment to others in any community that produces good living.  The good news of the Gospels is open to everyone because God loves us all, every one. 

        Pray to God always to live well, to become whom you were created to be in all it's glory and pray to find that soul mate no matter who you are.