When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor.
(08-29-2010)
The quotation in the title is from our gospel for this Sunday, Luke 14:7; and in it there is a challenge from Jesus about equity and unity—how he sees all of us. And each week as we gather in his name, in his Church around the world and at his table, we are reminded of our similarities—what we share the same. We are daily on the same journey to the Lord—daily struggling the same to grow in the Lord’s love and charity. All of us as Christians are on that same journey yet come from so many different places, ages, races, issues and lifestyles. Sometimes we fail and sometimes we get it right, but we keep on trying to grow in the Lord’s love—walk humbly with him.
Humility—does anyone besides me struggle with humility? And sometimes it seems that each day Jesus is raising the bar for us—calling us to be humble before him and for one another. The call is reflected in another line from our gospel today.
“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.”
Jesus is not suggesting a fake humility to impress anyone. He is reminding us that, behind all our attempts to work hard and do good for others, we must reflect on our reasons for doing what we do. Daily, we try to share the gifts we have, not to stand out, but so that others can stand up with us, find hope and celebrate life in God who has blessed us—true humility.
After all, who comes to church, comes to Mass, if not those of us who want to know the Lord better. We enter into the sanctuary of God’s House with our foibles and mistakes, and seek him. Who is does so if not those of us who want to live him better; hear him raise the bar so we can strive to witness him today better than we did yesterday.
Humility; we know that it comes to us in many forms. As I have shared often, my daily prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in my room is Lord, don’t let my big ego get in your way today. That should tell you I continue to struggle as so many of us do to grow to have less of me and more of him shine through me .
Often, the minute I go out into ministry, God shows me the way: here you want to be holy—and humble—take this phone call about a problem with one of our buildings, or visit with someone destitute who is lying about how often they have seen St. Vincent de Paul, God says, here learn from me through them.
In such experiences, God teaches us that people all around us are opportunities for us to learn how we need to grow in God; especially through people in need.
I am sure Jesus doesn’t want us to stop having meals and sharing special occasions with those nearest and dearest to us. He is saying for us to open our eyes to the humanity—the divine present in all people and welcome them—not easy!
Those who are neglected by our society not only need our material gifts, they also need the dignity that comes with being acknowledged as fully human despite the circumstances of poverty or disabilities, or addiction, imprisonment, or so many of those categories that can dehumanize. Sitting at table with one another will remind us of what God has done for us and who we all are, children of a loving and caring God. Is the bar raised high? SURE.
But at the Mass of the Eucharist we are gathered around a shared meal. The meal Jesus provides freely—fully of himself. There are many differences that could keep us separate, but here we are, together at the same table. If we look a little more closely, we will notice the diversity he has gathered—and it all becomes one in him—in the Mass of the Eucharist the field of life is leveled.
We walk humbly to the Lord to receive him at his table. Not all present at Mass will or can do that because of certain situations in their lives, some are of other faith traditions and they bless all of us by being with us, some are in marriages that they are trying to resolve in compliance with the Church’s teaching we are blessed that they seek that journey with us, some are just checking us out to see what it means to be Catholic—what an honor for us; and some are too young or have not made their First Communion, you are blessing us. So many walks of life gathered here to be one in Jesus—blessings that we offer back to the Lord in thanksgiving—for he is the author of those blessings in uniting us.
We may be very different in the world, but at Eucharist we are his family. How will we live that relationship? Fr. Gordon
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