Pondering in my Heart Mondays

I'm joining my friend, Heidi, again this week for Pondering in My Heart Heart Monday. 

This week I was struck by Sunday's Gospel. I just love these "Kingdom of Heaven" Gospels. The more I learn about what is meant by them, the more I can appreciate the message Jesus is trying to send through them.  I used to think this one was about not putting on the right clothes for Mass!

Father explained this week's Gospel, Mathew 22: 1-14 as a call for gratitude.  The one thing he said that really struck me was that ingratitude is the hinge for many more sins.  So often we get focused on the gift that we forget the Giver.  How true is that in our world and especially in my own life!  For me to be thankful, sometimes I have to imagine what life would be like without that gift. For instance, what would life be like if I didn't have food every day to eat or decent clothes to wear, or children or a wonderful husband or even the love of God.  We don't know what life would be like without the love of God because God's love is everywhere.  Even people who don't believe in God or who are terrible sinners don't know what it's like to be truly without God's love. They won't know until they die and then it's too late. That's what Hell is.  The complete absence of God's love.  The very thought makes me grateful for His love and mercy.

In my Magnificat this week, they also laid out what each line of the Gospel meant.  It was very enriching. Here's what I got from it- The guests of the wedding refuse to come to the banquet.  All that is asked of us, his guests, is that we be with him. How many times have I refused to be with God just by refusing to give my presence to Him in prayer and through my those I am called to give my presence to.   Also, it makes me think of how just the simple act of accepting God's love is sometimes the hardest to do.   Just stopping and allowing myself to be loved should be the easiest thing since I'm not really doing anything.  But I guess receiving a gift especially the gift of love is doing something- it's being humble.  Humble enough to acknowledge need for it and be truly thankful. 

Lastly, the refusal to put on the wedding garment is a refusal of the accepting the grace of God in my life.  I also see it as a refusal to put on Christ. How many times have I refused to put on Christ, and followed the wide path of the world instead by not practicing patience, humility, and charity.