Reflection for November 4, Monday; Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop: Luke 14:12-14

Gospel: Luke 14:12-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters 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:

 Have you noticed that there’s a greater feeling of satisfaction when you give to the poor than when you give to someone who could repay you? If you have not done this yet just try doing it so that you would feel it.

For example, try preparing two sets of the same food; you give one to your neighbor and the other one you give to the poor. Notice immediately the deeper feeling of grace and fulfillment that will set in to your heart after you’ve given the food to the poor.

Why is this so? Because the poor, the unwanted and the less fortunate of our society are closest to the heart of Jesus. In-fact Jesus Himself told a story about the last judgment where the king said: ‘Truly I say to you: just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40).’

In the gospel, Jesus was invited to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. And while there Jesus gave them a food for thought or something to think about and ponder.

Jesus said this to the host who invited Him: “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters 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 (Luke 14:12-14).”

This loaded and meaningful lecture of Jesus is not only for the leading Pharisee who invited Him this is also for us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas