Thursday of Week 20 – Ez 36:23-28; Psalm 50:12-15,18-19; Matthew 22:1-14

Do not harden your hearts today, but listen to the voice of the Lord [cf. Ps 95: 8].

Today, many people are no longer surprised when someone does not accept an invitation without a word – they simply don’t give any response, and ultimately do not show up at the specified time and place. It probably also depends on the type of invitation and the one who invites. Some people simply cannot refuse, because it results from a privilege and sometimes from an obligation or simple calculation. Others, however, those who are less or completely insignificant to someone, seem to be overlooked, disregarded, or perhaps it’s evasively explained that they have not yet earned to be in our presence.

The story is also familiar to Jesus himself. When you read the Gospel story of those invited to the royal feast, you wonder: why did the ones invited not accept it? Why did they despise such an honour? The allegory indicates that God is the king, His Son is the Bridegroom, and the coming of the Messiah is the wedding. The nation, with prophecies at its disposal, was unable to recognise the expected Messiah in Jesus. The result? “His own,” that is, the chosen people, did not accept Him. The king invites us to feast with Him, especially on the Lord’s Day. But you can always find a more or less real excuse. . . and turn the honour, which is a type of grace toward us, into a grace toward God. That is why many ponder and wonder whether it is worth it, while others seem to be completely indifferent or too busy with their own affairs. This seems paradoxical, because God’s offer is completely free, requiring only our response. So, do I read this invitation – God’s initiative – as a privilege or an obligation? Do I care at all? What answer do I give?