Few Are Chosen

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Psalm 40

Many are invited, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14

August 23, 2007

Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Piety

Let us pray: Lord God, you never cease inviting us into your presence. You know we are here and you want to join us. Open our ears so that, in faith, we may hear and act upon your holy invitation. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/082307.shtml

The fatted calf makes another appearance in today’s Gospel – once again killed for a feast. This is not the feast celebrating the return of the Prodigal. No this is a feast with no prodigal son or daughter…and no loyal sibling who stayed behind in service and obedience.

Instead, Jesus tells a parable which serves as a warning to the first century church and instructs the Church of today. God repeatedly invites people – all people – to goodness…to the wedding and its subsequent feast. Instead, people turn away. So, God, in His goodness invites us a second time. But we continue to ignore His holy invitation. Instead, we head off to work, to our offices, factories and farms. If the message from the prophets gets too loud or bothersome, we kill the messenger who brought the invitation.

If we the alleged believes don’t respond to the invitation, then God will reach out beyond the typical church leaders. God will invite anyone in the streets to come to the feast until people respond. Even among the people who follow, some may not be worthy – witnessed by the person who did not prepare or present himself properly and was punished.

Our invitation from God is extended to all people. However, this holy invitation is not without standards nor is it to be taken for granted or treated with disrespect. We simply cannot expect to come into God's presence unless we surrender our hearts or remain there on our own selfish terms.

So today we also confront Psalm 40 – surrendering our will to the will of God. The selfishness of the Prodigal Son demanding his inheritance is gone. No longer do we turn to idolatry. Or stray after falsehood. Instead, we have our “ears open to obedience.” Grace may be free but it ain’t cheap.

That is why we must be known by the fruits of our faith. “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Action

Please review this letter from Virginia Nesmith of the National Farm Workers ministry. Can you help with lodging for a farm worker next month?

Dear DC Area Friends,

I am looking for help with lodging and food for approximately 100 farm workers who will be coming to Washington, DC September 16 – 21, to lobby for passage of the AgJOBS bill. Despite the failure of the comprehensive immigration reform bill, co-sponsors of AgJOBS believe it has a chance of passage on its own and intend to push for it. Farm workers and agribusiness industry reps, Democrats and Republicans, spent hundreds of hours crafting this compromise bill which gives farm workers who have been working in agriculture – and stay in ag for several years, a chance to earn legal status. It also provides several reforms to the H2-A guest worker program in agriculture. Because so many farm workers are already immigrant workers, and the majority undocumented, the passage of AgJOBS is critical to ensuring a stable food supply and to helping end the exploitation of farm workers.

This past June fifty workers came to DC for the day. We know that having workers tell their personal stories face to face to legislators makes a significant difference. Thus, we have a more ambitious plan - to have twice the number of workers there for a week. (Arriving Sunday evening, Sept. 16, departing Thursday evening or Friday morning.) Because there are already significant costs to bring the workers there from various locations around the country and hotel costs are so prohibitive in DC, we were hoping to find a couple churches who would have space for cots and sleeping bags, and folks to help with meals. Accessibility to public transportation to the Hill would obviously be helpful also.

I know that in areas where we have done this kind of thing before, congregations are always blessed by the interaction with people who are so integral to our lives but whom we seldom see. I can’t remember anytime in very recent years asking for this kind of help in the DC area so I don’t have a pool to draw from. But we have this amazing advance notice of over a month!

Please let me know if your church or those you know, could help with this. If you can help there with contacting anyone or with overall assistance to get this done, let me know that also. Many thanks.

Si se Puede!

Virginia

Virginia Nesmith

National Farm Worker Ministry

314/726-6470

www.nfwm.org