Gospel: Luke
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.”
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Reflection:
Do you
always love to be at the forefront so that others would notice you? Do you
hunger for honor and accolades? Or you’re the type who prefers to do things
quietly without any desire to be noticed with what you’re doing?
In our
gospel, Jesus talks about our need to always be humble and not to love the
spotlight. However, it’s so tempting for many of us to love to be exalted, to
love praise and honor.
But come to think of it, when we love the
spotlight; when we love honorific titles. We are actually giving more
importance to this world more than we give importance to God. We become
creatures of this world so to speak.
But what
is prominence, what is honor? As time passes by prominence, honor and anything
that is worldly and self-serving will fade away. Thus, anything that we do for
the love of ourselves and of this world will be buried and will not be
remembered anymore.
But our
acts of humility? It will outlive us; it will permanently be etched in the
heart of God and in the hearts of those who know us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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