Monday of the Thirty-first Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 485
Lectionary: 485
Brothers and sisters:
The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy
because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given him anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To God be glory forever. Amen.
The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy
because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given him anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To God be glory forever. Amen.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 69:30-31, 33-34, 36
R. (14c) Lord,
in your great love, answer me.
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
AlleluiaJN 8:31B-32
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 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."
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."
Meditation: "You will be repaid at the resurrection
of the just"
Who do you honor at your table? The Lord is always
ready to receive us at his table. As far as we can tell from the Gospel
accounts, Jesus never refused a dinner invitation! Why, in this particular
instance, does Jesus lecture his host on whom he should or shouldn't invite to
dinner? Did his host expect some favor or reward from Jesus? Did he want to
impress his neighbors with the honor of hosting the "miracle worker"
from Galilee?
Generous giving doesn't impoverish - but enriches the
heart
Jesus probes our hearts as well. Do you only show favor and generosity to those who will repay you in kind? What about those who do not have the means to repay you - the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged? Generosity demands a measure of self-sacrifice. However, it doesn't impoverish, but rather enriches the soul of the giver. True generosity springs from a heart full of mercy and compassion. God has loved us first, and our love for him is a response of gratitude for the great mercy and kindness he has shown to each one of us. No one can outmatch God in his generous love and kindness towards us. Do you give freely as Jesus gives without seeking personal gain or reward?
Jesus probes our hearts as well. Do you only show favor and generosity to those who will repay you in kind? What about those who do not have the means to repay you - the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged? Generosity demands a measure of self-sacrifice. However, it doesn't impoverish, but rather enriches the soul of the giver. True generosity springs from a heart full of mercy and compassion. God has loved us first, and our love for him is a response of gratitude for the great mercy and kindness he has shown to each one of us. No one can outmatch God in his generous love and kindness towards us. Do you give freely as Jesus gives without seeking personal gain or reward?
"Lord Jesus, you love never fails and your
mercies abound. You offer us the best of gifts - peace, pardon and everlasting
friendship with you at your banquet table. Fill me with gratitude for your
great mercy and kindness towards me. And may I never fail to show kindness and
mercy towards all I meet so that they may know the mercy and goodness you offer
them as well."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: First and last at the banquet table, by
Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"'When,' he says, 'a man more honorable than you
comes, he that invited you and him will say, 'Give this man place.' Oh, what
great shame is there in having to do this! It is like a theft, so to speak, and
the restitution of the stolen goods. He must restore what he has seized because
he had no right to take it. The modest and praiseworthy person, who without
fear of blame might have claimed the dignity of sitting among the foremost,
does not seek it. He yields to others what might be called his own, that he may
not even seem to be overcome by empty pride. Such a one shall receive honor as
his due. He says, 'He shall hear him who invited him say, 'Come up here.' ...If
any one among you wants to be set above others, let him win it by the decree of
heaven and be crowned by those honors that God bestows. Let him surpass the
many by having the testimony of glorious virtues. The rule of virtue is a lowly
mind that does not love boasting. It is humility. The blessed Paul also counted
this worthy of all esteem. He writes to those who eagerly desire saintly pursuits,
'Love humility.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY
ON LUKE, HOMILY 101)
MONDAY,
NOVEMBER 6, LUKE 14:12-14
Weekday
(Romans 11:29-36; Psalm 69)
Weekday
(Romans 11:29-36; Psalm 69)
KEY VERSE: "For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous" (v 14).
TO KNOW: When Jesus was invited to a banquet at the home of an influential religious leader, he used this opportunity to teach both host and guests about the equality of all God's people. Jesus told them that when they gave a dinner party, they should not invite only those who were in a position to return the invitation. They should also invite the disadvantaged who had no means to repay them. These anawim (the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized, and economically oppressed) were the ones to whom Jesus addressed his proclamation of the reign of God (Lk 4:18). His followers had no need to be repaid for their generosity in serving him and God's people; God would reward them in the resurrection of the just. Can we imagine what it would be like if banquets were held in honor of the poor and deprived instead of the rich and famous? How would this change us? How would it change the world?
TO LOVE: In what ways can I apply Jesus' teaching to my everyday life?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to see everyone as my brothers and sisters.
Monday 6
November 2017
Romans 11:29-36. Psalm
68(69):30-31, 33-34, 36-37. Luke 14:12-14.
Lord, in
your great love, answer me — Psalm 68(69):30-31, 33-34, 36-37.
How
inscrutable are the ways of God.
It is fascinating to notice the
daily miracles of God’s providence in ways big and small. Surprises are always
on offer and a gentle nudge from God comes via the most unexpected people and
situations. St Ignatius trained himself in the awareness of responding to God’s
nudge. He learned to test the ideas to see if they were indeed to the greater
glory of God.
In the divided and corrupt church
of the 16th century, the people had no clear vision of a life lived in Christ.
A young nobleman, Charles Borromeo, worked to bring goodness and holiness back
to the church, acting as a faithful guide to popes and cardinals. Inspiring
both Aloysius Gonzaga and Edmund Campion, his reach was wide.
He wished only to be in a place of
prayer and quiet, with the God he loved above all.
ST. LEONARD OF NOBLAC
St Leonard of Noblac was a Frank courtier, and
during a certian invasion which they were losing, the Queen suggested to
Leonard that he invoke the help of God to repel the invading army. He did,
and the tide of battle turned, naming Clovis victorious. Saint
Remigius, bishop of Rheims then used this miracle to convert the King, Leonard,
and a thousand of thier followers to Christianity. Following his conversion,
St. Leonard refused the offer of a See from his grandfather, King Clovis I.
He then began a life of austerity, sanctification, and preaching. His desire to know God grew so strong that he decided to enter the monastery at Orleans. His brother, Saint Lifiard, followed his example and, leaving the King's court, built a monastery at Meun, and lived there.
However, Leonard desired further seclusion, so he withdrew into the forest of Limousin, converting many on the way, and living on herbs, wild fruits, and spring water. He built himself an oratory, leaving it only for journeys to churches. Others, recognizing his holiness, begged to live with him, and a monastery was formed. Leonard had a great compassion for prisoners, and converted many and obtaining their release.
He died of natural causes around 559. After his death, churches were dedicated to him in France, England, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Bohemia, Poland and other countries. Pilgrims flocked to his tomb, and in one small town in Bavaria there are records of 4,000 favors granted through Saint Leonard's intercession.
He then began a life of austerity, sanctification, and preaching. His desire to know God grew so strong that he decided to enter the monastery at Orleans. His brother, Saint Lifiard, followed his example and, leaving the King's court, built a monastery at Meun, and lived there.
However, Leonard desired further seclusion, so he withdrew into the forest of Limousin, converting many on the way, and living on herbs, wild fruits, and spring water. He built himself an oratory, leaving it only for journeys to churches. Others, recognizing his holiness, begged to live with him, and a monastery was formed. Leonard had a great compassion for prisoners, and converted many and obtaining their release.
He died of natural causes around 559. After his death, churches were dedicated to him in France, England, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Bohemia, Poland and other countries. Pilgrims flocked to his tomb, and in one small town in Bavaria there are records of 4,000 favors granted through Saint Leonard's intercession.
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 14,12-14
Lectio Divina:
Monday, November 6, 2017
Ordinary
Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 14:12-14
Jesus said to His host, "When you
give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your
relations or rich neighbors, in case they invite you back and so repay you. No,
when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and
then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will
be repaid when the upright rise again."
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today continues to present
the teaching Jesus was giving on different themes, all related to curing in the
setting of a banquet: a cure during a meal (Lk 14, 1-6), advice not to
take the places of honor (Lk 14, 7-12), and advice to invite the excluded (Lk
14, 12-14). This organization of the words of Jesus around a particular word,
for example, table or banquet, helps one perceive the method used by the first
Christians to keep the words of Jesus in their memory.
• Luke 14, 12: Interested invitation. Jesus is eating in the house of a Pharisee who has invited Him (Lk 14, 1). The invitation to share at table is the theme of the teaching of today’s Gospel. There are different types of invitations: the interested invitations for the benefit of oneself and disinterested invitations for the benefit of others. Jesus says: "When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbors, in case they invite you back and so repay you”. That was the normal custom of the people: to invite friends, brothers and relatives to eat. Nobody would sit at table with unknown persons. They would sit around the table only with people who were their friends. That was the custom of the Jews. Even now we also act in the same way. Jesus thinks differently and orders us to invite unknown people. These were invitations which nobody used to make.
• Luke 14, 13-14: Disinterested invitation. Jesus says “On the contrary, when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you. So you will be repaid when the upright rise again.” Jesus orders them and us to break the closed circle and asks us to invite the excluded, the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This was not the custom then and it is not today either. But Jesus insists: “Invite these persons”. Why? Because in the disinterested invitation, addressed to excluded and marginalized persons, there is a source of happiness: “And then you will be blessed for they have no means to repay you”. This is a strange type of happiness, a diverse happiness! You will be blessed for they have no means to repay you. It is the happiness that comes from the fact that you have done a totally gratuitous gesture, without asking for anything. Jesus says that this is the happiness which God will give us in the resurrection; the happiness of the Resurrection which He will give us not only at the end of history, but even now. To act in this way is to glimpse the happiness in the resurrecti on!
• It is the Kingdom which will be confirmed. The advice which Jesus gives us in the Gospel today recalls the sending out of the seventy-two on the mission of announcing the Kingdom (Lk 10, 1-9). Among the different recommendations given on that occasion, as signs of the presence of the Kingdom, there is: (a) the invitation to the table and (b) the acceptance of the excluded: “Whenever you go into a town, where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you, cure those who are sick and say: the Kingdom of God is very near to you!” (Lk 10, 8-9) Here, in these recommendations, Jesus orders the transgression of that norm of legal purity which prevented fraternal living together.
• Luke 14, 12: Interested invitation. Jesus is eating in the house of a Pharisee who has invited Him (Lk 14, 1). The invitation to share at table is the theme of the teaching of today’s Gospel. There are different types of invitations: the interested invitations for the benefit of oneself and disinterested invitations for the benefit of others. Jesus says: "When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbors, in case they invite you back and so repay you”. That was the normal custom of the people: to invite friends, brothers and relatives to eat. Nobody would sit at table with unknown persons. They would sit around the table only with people who were their friends. That was the custom of the Jews. Even now we also act in the same way. Jesus thinks differently and orders us to invite unknown people. These were invitations which nobody used to make.
• Luke 14, 13-14: Disinterested invitation. Jesus says “On the contrary, when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you. So you will be repaid when the upright rise again.” Jesus orders them and us to break the closed circle and asks us to invite the excluded, the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This was not the custom then and it is not today either. But Jesus insists: “Invite these persons”. Why? Because in the disinterested invitation, addressed to excluded and marginalized persons, there is a source of happiness: “And then you will be blessed for they have no means to repay you”. This is a strange type of happiness, a diverse happiness! You will be blessed for they have no means to repay you. It is the happiness that comes from the fact that you have done a totally gratuitous gesture, without asking for anything. Jesus says that this is the happiness which God will give us in the resurrection; the happiness of the Resurrection which He will give us not only at the end of history, but even now. To act in this way is to glimpse the happiness in the resurrecti on!
• It is the Kingdom which will be confirmed. The advice which Jesus gives us in the Gospel today recalls the sending out of the seventy-two on the mission of announcing the Kingdom (Lk 10, 1-9). Among the different recommendations given on that occasion, as signs of the presence of the Kingdom, there is: (a) the invitation to the table and (b) the acceptance of the excluded: “Whenever you go into a town, where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you, cure those who are sick and say: the Kingdom of God is very near to you!” (Lk 10, 8-9) Here, in these recommendations, Jesus orders the transgression of that norm of legal purity which prevented fraternal living together.
4) Personal questions
• An interested or disinterested
invitation: which of these takes place in my life?
• If you invited in a disinterested way, would this cause some difficulties? Which ones?
• If you invited in a disinterested way, would this cause some difficulties? Which ones?
5) Concluding prayer
Yahweh, my heart is not haughty,
I do not set my sights too high.
I have taken no part in great affairs,
in wonders beyond my scope.
No, I hold myself in quiet and silence,
like a little child in its mother's arms,
like a little child, so I keep myself. (Ps 131,1-2)
I do not set my sights too high.
I have taken no part in great affairs,
in wonders beyond my scope.
No, I hold myself in quiet and silence,
like a little child in its mother's arms,
like a little child, so I keep myself. (Ps 131,1-2)
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