THE WORD
Phil 2,1-4 / Lk 14,12-14
Jesus said to the host who invited 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.
IN OTHER WORDS
Jesus gives us words to follow. He is our perfect example. A lot of people have tried to emulate his ways. My parish priest during my pastoral year was one of them. He was very generous, simple and compassionate. His regular guests were strangers, refugees, the sick and the poor. He always gave them his time, honest presence and help in many forms. I observed though that a lot of those who frequently came to him asking for help were just taking advantage of his goodness. Many of them were alcohol and substance dependents. I asked him one evening why he was doing what he was doing. He just smiled back and told me that he was helping them to make them feel that somebody was there for them even in their brokenness and woundedness and that he does not need to ask for anything in return.
He unsuspiciously allowed himself to be a present for others. It is consoling to know that we have Somebody whom we are allowed to come to, just as we are, without being judged. It is so beautiful that Somebody, whose goodness is unlimited – Jesus Christ – is there, in a world that asks us most of the time to give so that we may receive. We are allowed to come to him every time just as we are and we thank him for that.
- Fr. Ritch Salinas, SVD | Germany
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.
