Gospel Reflection

Sunday, August 29th

Luke 14:1, 7-14

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 every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Then he said to the host who invited him,
“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Reflection

Let us remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God.

Is the competitive spirit what Jesus warns us about in today’s Gospel? Pride must be competitive, since it would not be able to concede first place to anyone else, even when its real wants are satisfied. At its worst, competitiveness leads to antagonism toward anyone who challenges one’s superiority. This can lead a person to hate and despise others.

However, competitive spirit is good if it is combined with a deep sense of humility. Humility does not mean a denial of one’s talents and gifts. One can be thankful and praise God for the favors God has showered on oneself. It is right for a person to be self-loving, because one’s gifts can be used for performing great deeds that will also help others.

In today’s Gospel, as with so many things he did, Jesus’ befriending social outcasts and eating with them angered his opponents, who were proud and competitive. But where others saw only sinners, people on the fringe, public outcasts to be ostracized and thrown aside, Jesus saw human beings, trapped in their own failure, desperately trying to be something better and awkwardly trying to make their way back into the community.

The first lesson of today’s Gospel is that it is God who raises up, not humans. Recognition of our lowliness is the proper stance for human beings. In this Gospel story, the rich and powerful find it difficult to be humbly open to God.

The second lesson of today’s Gospel goes against the normal practice of inviting into our lives only those who can be expected to return the favor in one form or another. All of those recommended by Jesus to be on our invitation lists will receive the places of honor in the banquet of the Kingdom, those who cannot repay us: the poor, the lame, and the blind.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle… pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts…forever.

Bro. Charles Mrozinski, FSC
District of Eastern North America, Eatontown, N.J.