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:
A story
is told about a wise man who shunned publicity. He would speak every once in a
while and when he speaks everyone listens to him. After speaking he would
immediately hide away into his own private place. Yet there would be rare times
that he grants interviews and when he does he would always point to God as the
giver of whatever wisdom that he possesses.
Many of
us may be tempted to own to ourselves the wisdom or material wealth that we
presently have. But we should not allow ourselves to be possessed by that
temptation, for who are we to own to ourselves what we have? We have to always
remember that we are mere vessels of God, whatever we have comes from God.
In the
gospel, Jesus highlights the great virtue of humility. Jesus tells us to always
be humble and not to crave for attention and adulation. Why? For the simple
reason that the humbler we are the more that Jesus is seen within us. The
humbler we are the more the we become His effective vessels in this world.
The
humbler you are the more that you allow Jesus’ light to shine upon you. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
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