THE WORD
Phil 1,18-26 / Lk 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.”
IN OTHER WORDS
Banquets are occasions to share our blessings with others. Nowadays, they have increasingly become instruments for other purposes: launching a political career, enhancing one’s status, aunting one’s power and wealth. Who sits beside whom and where merits a very serious consideration. This is how society celebrates banquets. Even among church people.
A very peculiar banquet took place on a stormy day of Jan. 18, 2015, in Tacloban. One of the most influential and respected persons in the world insisted on sitting at table and celebrating a banquet not with the rich and powerful, nor with politicians and officials but with the poor, marginalized and forgotten who lost loved ones and homes to the earthquake and super typhoon that devastated the area. Pope Francis reminded us of Jesus’ injunction on how to celebrate a proper banquet (Lk 14,12-14).
Jesus advises us not to seek the places of honor but rather to take the lowest place. In the eyes of the world, the lowest place is for the lowly, the rejects and the marginalized; those who count for nothing in the wisdom of the world. But in God’s eyes, the last is the first and the least is the greatest.
In the great banquet of the Kingdom of God, the poor and the lowly not only occupy the places of honor but also sit in the company of God. Pope Francis understood this very clearly. How about you?
After working for eight years in the formation house, I received a new assignment. However, from time to time I visit the formation house and even have some group sessions with the formandi, especially with the new ones, to help them adapt to life in the community. At the end of one of these sessions, some of them ask me to pray for them so that they would persevere. In response, I tell them that one of the things I have learned in handling formation is to pray for each seminarian and each member of the community under my care. I even make sure to say at least a mass per week for them and for their intentions, since nothing can really be done without God’s help. He is the only one who can truly form hearts and minds, for these to be truly conformed to His desires. It is no wonder then that even Jesus spent time in prayer before choosing twelve of his disciples to be his closest partners in the mission. The grace of God, which one gains through prayers, is the only guarantee that these weak men will be able to live up to their vocation and carry out the task to which they are called. Prayer ripens one’s vocation -- whatever that vocation is. How important for superiors of communities or of organizations and parents to pray for those under their care. We tend to forget this and complain interminably instead. Parents and elders, for example, tend to complain that today’s generation lacks maturity compared to their own generation. Instead of complaining, pray for our youth.
- Fr. Herman Suico, SVD | Cebu City
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
