Gospel: 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 inited 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.”
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Reflection:
A man was aspiring to be the leader of his group, so he said to himself: “I
will talk a lot and flaunt my intelligence so that they would notice me.” So he
did, he was always talking and very opinionated with the end in mind that he
would be noticed by his peers and be anointed as their leader. When election
day came he was not elected to lead the group instead the one that was chosen
was the quiet and humble member.
What is the advantage of a humble person over an egotistical person? The
crowd always favors the humble person. The humble will never aspire to be in
front he would be content to be at the sideline doing his assigned task. If somebody
would notice what he does he would appreciate it without gloating about it. If
he would be assigned a position of prominence he would not immediately accept
it. He would instead first think carefully about it. The humble person is not
boastful, not egotistical and doesn’t seek prominence.
In the gospel for this Sunday Jesus talks about humility. Jesus tells us
that if we are invited into a wedding banquet or any banquet for that matter.
We should choose to seat at the back and not in the place of honor, not because
we feel inferior or we have an inferiority complex. We seat at the back
for this is the right action to do. Afterwards if the host would call our
attention to be seated elsewhere then we should follow.
What if for example a person doesn’t have humility? Could he be converted to imbibe the virtue of
humility? Yes absolutely! He could be converted provided that he would be ready
to follow the leadings of Jesus in his life. Why? Because in each and everyday
of our life Jesus is always inviting us to leave behind our character of
arrogance and hunger for prominence.
For the simple reason that these would only bring us trouble and problem.
And it would certainly keep us away from the love and mercy of God. Because
Jesus always wants us to be humble. And the virtue of humility if this is
present in a person’s life could become his walkway towards Jesus.
Strive to be humble and ask Jesus to make you humble for nothing is impossible
for the Lord. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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