Ingratitude is the substance of many sins, and all sin separates us from God and from the meaningful life that comes from living close to God - it keeps us from accepting God's invitations. And so, a healthy sense of gratitude is one of the best ways to combat sin and stay close to the Lord. Today's parable shows us exactly how to grow this rare and powerful virtue: by letting Him change our plans. If the invited guests in the parable had truly respected their king, they would have adjusted their plans for his sake, putting aside their personal preferences for a little while to show their gratitude to Him. God asks us to change our plans in many ways. Let’s talk about two of them. First, when He allows tragedy or suffering in our life. For instance, when a young married couple discovers that they can't have children, God is most definitely asking them to change their plans. This is an invitation to follow God more closely, to join Jesus on the cross, so that they can later join Him in the banquet of the resurrection. He also asks us to change our plans when it becomes risky to act like true Christians in a non-Christian world. Standing up for the rights of the unborn is not always the popular or easy thing to do. Simply striving to live the life of a faithful Catholic in today’s world can require a lot of courage and self-sacrifice. There is a fair chance that in the week to come God will ask each of us to change our plans in some way or other for the sake of His Kingdom - maybe in something big, maybe in something small. When He does, let's be generous. Let’s show Him that we truly belong to Him, that we truly do believe, as today's Psalm reminds us, that He is our shepherd, and that He will lead us to the fullness of life. Will we; can we, change our plans for Him?