God is the changer of hearts. We see this clearly today in our beautiful first reading from Ezekiel 36. “I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.” Let us ask God to change our (stony) hearts today.
In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus tells a parable about a king who gives a wedding feast for his son. When the servants went out to summon the invited guests, they refused to come. Some even beat and killed the servants. So the king has servants go out and invite people off the street. Everyone is invited. But someone comes in not dressed in a wedding garment. So the king has him thrown out into the darkness, “where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
The story is first about how the Jews are the first invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. But they refuse, indeed, beat and kill the messengers. Then the story becomes about a man who is not properly dressed for the wedding feast. Is this about clothes? Of course not. It is about being willing to change - or not. The man was not willing to change, and he paid the price. We must take off the old and put on the new to enter into the Kingdom. So…are you ready to change?
Father, we thank you for the invitation to the wedding feast! Help us to remember that we must change - do away with the old and put on the new. Help us to be “dressed properly” to enter into the Kingdom. Amen.
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Gus, This is in regard to the experience of the person asking for money, then grabbing it & leaving with no expression of thanks. I think you are struggling with two issues – charity and justice. You were charitable and were OK with that, but the lack of gratitude disturbed you. In addition to being personally recognized, we, as a parent/grandparent have worked to teach our children the importance of gratitude.
With the “take from the rich and give it to the poor” message, gratitude has no place. I think this may have been some of your struggle. Pat