30th Week in Ordinary Time
04th November 2023 (Saturday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Romans 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Sion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Psalm 94:12-13a, 14-15, 17-18, (R. 14a)
R/. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord; and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Luke 14:1, 7-11
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honour, saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honour, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person', and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: Honour is not in ranks or titles!
Guidlines: Everyone seeks to be honourable and honoured. But real honour does not come from places of honour. Rather real honour comes from character. Thus, one who has an honourable character is always humble{alertSuccess}
1. “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he humbles himself will be exalted”, this is one of the outstanding and popular teachings of Jesus. He brings our attention to humility. Humility is not just one of the many virtues.
2. It is the link for all the virtues. It is the bottom line, the base, the foundation on which all the other virtues are built. Without humility, all the other virtues lose their charm and credibility.
3. Jesus, being a guest of honour at a leading pharisee’s house, watches them seeking places of honour. He seizes upon the opportunity to offer a lesson on humility. Many think, the more you are highly placed, the more you have to maintain high. You need to carry and present yourself high.
4. But Jesus makes it clear that the more one is high in power and position, the more he must be humble. In fact, a person does not become honourable by his honourable place or position, but by his honourable character. Powers and positions are external and they do not replace a person’s internal character. They can be concrete means of expressing a good character.
5. In fact, true honour comes not from the position to the person. Rather it must go from the person’s honorability to the position. In that sense, it is the person that gives honour to the chair and not so much the chair that gives honour to the person. External honours must complement the inner honour of the person and not substitute or cover up for what is lacking internally.
6. True humility can come only from a genuine awareness and repentance over one’s fragility and unworthiness. It also has an overwhelming acceptance of God’s holiness. This double awareness is corroborated by the ready recognition of others’ goodness and greatness. When this threefold humility is present, then surely a person becomes pleasing in God’s sight and God exalts him.
7. St Charles Borromeo whom we commemorate today, stands tall for this humility, focus and commitment. He was an outstanding reformer during the counter-reformation, especially the founding of seminaries for the education of priests.
Practice: It is high time that the church learns to stop the malicious musical chair for power and position, seeking a false dignity and honour in them. They should realize that real honour comes from a sound character and not from honours{alertSuccess}