The Necessity of Change
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Those who comment on things religious often say that Catholic parishes should be more welcoming. While the Church must be welcoming and willing to meet every seeker where they are in their spiritual journey, the Church risks being unfaithful to its mission if it doesn’t also call all to conversion.
Jesus’ first words in His public ministry were “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). The Church “exists to evangelize” (Evangelii nuntiandi, n. 14), so hospitality and welcome should be our initial posture, but the Church cannot fail to proclaim the challenging and hopeful truths of the Gospel and to call all who come to Her to repentance.
The parable presented by Jesus in this week’s Gospel reveals the necessity of change. Those who ignored the King’s invitation represent the Jewish leaders, who were first called, but declined the invitation. Those invited later, “the bad and the good alike,” represent the Gentiles, and the invitation went out to all to come to the feast.
While all were invited, there is an expectation that those who responded to the invitation were willing to change. To show up at a wedding in gym shorts and flip flops would be insulting to those who invited you. It would reveal a complete lack of appreciation of the dignity of the occasion.
So too, all who are called to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb are expected to want to change; to allow God’s grace to clothe them in a new garment. St. Paul in the Letter to the Romans says, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom 13:14, RSV). The grace and mercy offered by Jesus can “reclothe” us, so to speak. But we have to be willing to allow it.
“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
