Daily
Thoughts:
In a word our readings today at about humility. In our first reading from the
Book of Sirach we hear the echoes of traditional Jewish teachings concerning
right conduct. Basically these verses say, “Remember who you are and who you
are not.”
Remember
you are gifted by God and when you remain peacefully grateful you will
experience being loved by God and others.
A wise
person listens deeply. The wise person searches and allows mystery to be a
friend rather than a humiliating enemy which must be defeated or ignored. As
water can subdue flames, generosity to the poor extinguishes the fire of past
sins.
This way
of living life is both instructive and practical. The challenge is always to
live out the words of wisdom. You might say it is always a work in progress.
Humility is gratitude which allows us to be comfortable in our own skin. When
we cover up or withdrawal we are not being humble or shy, we are allowing pride
to take over. We are saying that we really should have been created with more
gifts and until they appear, we will not.
In our
Gospel Luke has Jesus responding to an invitation to dinner at a leading
Pharisee’s house. There are two keys that this is not ordinary dinner. First the
other at the dinner are watching Jesus with the intent to trap him. These are
people I often refer to as the “Temple Police” or perhaps in today’s terms they
are the “Liturgical Police”. Jesus notices the pharisaical practices of the
guests maneuvering for the places of honor and recognition. So he intensifies their
interest in him by telling a story that is aimed right at their insincerity.
The story
seems to be about table manners and where one should sit at a wedding feast, however
it is really about how one sits at the table of life. Being invited to life means
that we are in fact invited and have no entitled rites other than to eat what
is placed before us and to sit where they find themselves. The Eternal Inviter
to the feast of life will bless those who have eaten well and gratefully for
the whole meal. This blessing is the Eternal Host saying, “My friend, move up
to a higher position.”
The
“higher position” would be a place of honor, which, for Luke, means a place of sharing
with the needy the gifts received at God’s table. This image is made more clear
as Jesus then turns to the host of the dinner and speaks to him about whom he
should invite to such dinners.
Jesus
states clearly to the host that when he invites his friends and the wealthy to
dine, they can repay you and so you have your reward. The challenge to the host
is to use his dining facilities and wealth to care for those who cannot repay him,
because then the Eternal Host who has set his table, will then repay him at the
eternal banquet.
That
which makes a person truly attractive is that comfortableness in their own skin,
which is true humility. Just as sitting in a quiet, peaceful place is
comforting, walking with people who are comfortable with their own skin often bring
peace into our life, you might say it rests us. Remember humility is truth in
action, generosity in public, and joyfulness in being invited.
Have a
great Sunday everyone!
Daily
Prayer: O
God, we love you and our only desire is to love you until the last breath of
our lives. If our tongues cannot say in every moment that we love you, we want
our hearts to repeat it to you as often as we draw a breath. Amen. (Adapted from a prayer by St. John Vianney)
A
Runner’s Thoughts: “Looking forward to something is much more fun than
looking back at something–and much more constructive.” (Hortense Odlum)
Daily
Blessing:
Sunday greetings and blessings to all. I hope your Sunday has started off well
and that you will be able to give God a little time today! I am finishing up my
time St. Ignatius Martyr Parish in Long Beach today. After the noon mass I will
be headed home. It has been a wonder two weeks here. I always enjoy helping out
and being blessing with time to enjoy the gift of being near the ocean.
My prayer
of blessing today is that whatever you are doing today, relaxing, working,
traveling, vacationing or just being I pray that God’s blessing will be upon
your Sunday filling it with the richness of joy, hope and the goodness of God’s
presence. May today be filled with Spirit and life so that you will always live
in the presence of God! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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