Thursday's Gospel
Gospel - Mt 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests
and the elders of the people in parables saying,
“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited:
“Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants,
‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
posted by Fr Greg @ 10:55 AM
9 comments
9 Comments:
What do you say to your child when she tells you she has an angel who visits her at night? She can describe him in great detail and with a strong measure of assertion that he is really there; no one else can see or hear him (this she knows), but he’s there. She looks forward to his visits. Last night, her angel visited again. Her younger sister shares a room with her and is prone to nightmares. Last night, her younger sister was in the midst of a nightmare, moving about and talking aloud in her sleep such that it woke up my angel-seeing daughter. She said when she woke up to see a gold cross was near the ceiling above her bed, and the angel come to lift up the cross and told her to pray every night then went away. She says he has blond curly hair, a long white dress, wings and a halo that is made of light. When he left, she says, her sister was back to sleep- nightmare gone. She said she prayed for everyone in her family and went back to sleep. I asked her when her angel started visiting her, and she answered just before her brother’s birthday (about 2 weeks ago). Well, in the past two weeks, she has been talking a lot about praying and writing some poems about God that have caused me to pause, as the thinking was pretty mature for her age, and the subject of prayer has become a big topic of late. Today, my younger daughter (the one with the nightmares- she’s 4 yrs old) announced that when she grows up she’s going to be “rich.” My daughter, the one who sees her angel, answered that there are more important things than money- “like helping people and praying.” Others listen to her with some confusion and then look at me like I need to get her some help. So, what do you say when your child tells you she has an angel?
Once again, the Gospel speaks directly to me today. Am I "clothed in Christ?" I can honestly say that, today, I was not. Funny- the parable talks about a wedding feast and proper garments. I am getting everything together to go to a wedding this weekend. So many things have been my focus- clothing, cleaning out my car, logistics of where, when and how, etc. I've kept myself pretty busy in order to avoid some anxiety I have about this family gathering. I haven't had one nice thought about the bride and groom- no wish for their future happiness, because, instead, I've been absorbed in my own "stuff" about what may or may not happen to me when I get there. Tomorrow, however, is a new day, and I will endeavor to think about the occasion for this trip and extend myself in way I know is correct and good.
Why is it that some people pass out during a healing mass and others don't? Is it because the Holy Spirit goes to the one that passes out and not the one that doesn't?
To the last anon,
Why not just skip the wedding to save yourself anxiety?
I have been going to Eucharistic Adoration a lot lately and have been feeling so peaceful and happy afterwards. Is what I am feeling grace?
Eucharistic Adorer
First Anon:
There is a saying: "You shall know them by their fruits". I don't know if your daughter is really seeing an angel or not. If it is causing her to pray more and think more of God, then perhaps it isn't so bad.
To Anon 11:42-
Dr. Phil, I am not, but this is my own motherly interpretation.
I think most children go through periods in their lives where they become attached to, or more attuned to spiritual or religious figures or events. One of my daughters, after repeated viewings of a movie on Our Lady of Fatima, began walking around with a stone in her shoe as a way to offer sacrifice. The other talks of wanting to see God, but not having to die in the process. She also is full of questions about a variety of religious topics and imparts great wisdom, I think.
In the case of your daughter, perhaps she is thinking of her guardian angel as her visitor and this provides her with a certain degree of comfort, especially when your other daughter, with whom she shares the room, is having a nightmare.
I am not sure what I would say to her. I would most likely ask a few questions and then often be our best role models, can't they?
Dropped some words on that last paragraph - should read:
I am not sure what I would say to her. I would most likely ask a few questions, and then primarily listen. Children can often be our best role models, can't they?
"Why not just skip the wedding to save yourself anxiety?"
I learned a pretty cool lesson, well maybe I didn't just learn it, but it's something I haven't practiced for a while- when you focus on someone else rather than yourself, you don't notice anxiety. Each time I started feeling tightness in my chest, I looked at the bride and groom and thought of many amazing firsts they'll have together. It was easy to see how happy they both were, and that made me actually want to focus on them instead of me. It was a beautiful wedding, and I added a few new, very cool party ideas to my arsenal!!
In a few hours we’re having brunch with the family and will, no doubt, talk about all the wedding details. This is usually my favorite part- talking about all those little things that make an event special. Then we’re off, and I’m in one piece. It wasn’t worth all the trepidation and stress I created for myself the past few weeks. I’ll try to remember that for the next get together.
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