Reading 1 Rom 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29
Brothers and sisters:
I ask, then, has God rejected his people?
Of course not!
For I too am a child of Israel, a descendant of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel?
Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall?
Of course not!
But through their transgression
salvation has come to the Gentiles,
so as to make them jealous.
Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world,
and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles,
how much more their full number.
I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers and sisters,
so that you will not become wise in your own estimation:
a hardening has come upon Israel in part,
until the full number of the Gentiles comes in,
and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
The deliverer will come out of Zion,
he will turn away godlessness from Jacob;
and this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.
In respect to the Gospel, they are enemies on your account;
but in respect to election,
they are beloved because of the patriarch.
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15, 17-18
R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Were not the LORD my help,
my soul would soon dwell in the silent grave.
When I say, "My foot is slipping,"
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Gospel Lk 14:1, 7-11
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
"Give your place to this man,"
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
"My friend, move up to a higher position."
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Meditation: Luke 14:1,7-11
“When you are invited, go and take the lowest place.” (Luke 14:10)
Just before giving this little discourse, Jesus modeled the behavior he recommended here. When he came in, he didn’t take the place of honor at the banquet table. Rather, he put aside his own concerns and took care of someone else. He zeroed in on the one guest most in need of healing and acceptance: a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus knew that he would be criticized for healing the man on the Sabbath, but he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to relieve someone’s suffering— or to give a living example of his teaching.
Although “the people there were observing him carefully,” eager to catch any misstep, Jesus shows himself to be the true observer of human behavior. He is aware of this man’s need and the others’ hostility. He also notices the guests jockeying for position, choosing places of honor at the table. So he offers a bit of practical advice: Take the lowest place.
Jesus isn’t recommending the kind of false humility where you take a lower place in order to look better when someone important escorts you to a higher one. No, he wants his followers to put other people first, welcoming them with the Father’s own love. He knows that if our first thought is for others, we will have no time—and no need—to worry about our own status.
This is the same principle that St. Paul taught the Philippians when he told them: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). We can do this by deciding each day to try to help just one person who seems to be in need. Perhaps it is a coworker whose job is on the line and who needs words of encouragement. Perhaps it is a neighbor who is struggling with a long-term illness and needs someone to pick up her medicine. Or maybe one of your children is struggling in school and needs a little extra attention to build up his confidence. Whatever the situation, ask the Father to help you feel the great love he has for this individual. Then reach out. Bring Christ to that person, and watch how the Spirit works in both of your hearts.
“Lord Jesus, help me discern in today’s awkward situations your invitation to reach out in love.”
No comments:
Post a Comment