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Fans of comic-strip characters Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole "Peanuts" gang may remember the many times Charlie Brown opens his mailbox expecting a valentine or an invitation, only to find it empty. In one of my favorite comic strips, he is on his tiptoes peering into his mailbox with this caption: "Never let anyone you care about walk out to an empty mailbox."

Most of us love a good party. A baby's birth, marriages and graduations are celebrated with parties. In Chapter 22 of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of a king who sends out invitations to a wedding party for his son, but those on the guest list refuse to come. Some are too busy; others ignore the invitation. A few even reject the invitation.

The king does not cancel the feast. Rather, he sends invitations to everyone -- rich and poor, good and not-so-good alike -- and the banquet hall is full.

Jesus lived this parable in His own short life. He invited everyone to the feast of God's love, which He called the reign of God. Jesus sat at many tables and went to many parties, eating and drinking with people who did not get an invitation to anything: the poor, social outcasts, tax collectors and sinners.

Unlike most guests lists for our parties, God's party includes everyone. No one is excluded and the invitation has no expiration date.

Each Sunday, we get a taste of what God's reign looks like. It's like no other party we have attended. We gather joyfully, listen to God's Word, sing and share one cup and one bread. For a brief hour, we are one body. Skin color, economic status or country of origin and other differences do not matter here.

But it does not end here; it begins here. We are called to invite others to the party. Like the king who sent his servants out to invite everyone, God sends us out to the world to invite others to come, "taste and see the goodness of the Lord."

Pope Francis stresses this in his apostolic exhortation, "The Joy of the Gospel:" "By their baptism, all the people of God have become missionary disciples. Every Christian is challenged here and now to be actively engaged in evangelization."

Unfortunately, evangelization has gotten a bad rap. The word can conjure up visions of people on street corners, pushing pamphlets and Bible tracts.

Jesus evangelized in a gentler way. He preached the Good News of God's love, welcomed and accepted people right where they were, and invited them to live in a radically different way: in peace, justice and harmony. His evangelization, like honey, attracted people searching for lives full of purpose and meaning.

Jesus did not finish His work on Earth, but entrusted His mission to you and me, the Church. Pope Paul VI put it simply: "The Church exists in order to evangelize."

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to send out God's invitation to the feast. We do not need special training or theology degrees. All we need to do is share our own stories of God's love, and be willing to invite others to the party.

There are many empty seats in most of our churches. Is it because people are not interested or are turned off by the Church? Maybe. But maybe no one has invited them to the party, or their impression of church is far from a party!

A recent Associated Press story gives this parable a contemporary twist. A couple called off their wedding a week before the event. They were left with a non-refundable contract for the reception hall and dinner for 170 guests. Rather than cancel, the bride threw a dinner party for the homeless. She said, "For me, it was an opportunity to let these people know they deserved to be at a place like this just as much as everyone else does."

Local businesses donated apparel for the guests. One homeless man commented, "I didn't have a sport coat. I think I look pretty nice in it."

God's plan is for everyone on Earth to know they deserve a place at the wedding feast. Each of us received God's invitation from someone. If God sent out invitations, they might read something like this: "My beloved, you are invited to the great banquet of love I have prepared for you. The table is set with the finest foods. Come to the feast, where I will wipe every tear from your eyes and you will find joy that knows no end. Please pass this invitation on to everyone you know so that my table may be complete. Love, God."

Charlie Brown is right: Never let anyone you care about walk out to empty mailbox. Signs outside our churches often proclaim, "All are welcome." It's the Gospel truth. Someone we know is just waiting for an invitation to the party. What are we waiting for?

(Deacon Solomon delivered this homily at St. Peter's parish in Saratoga Springs.)[[In-content Ad]]

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