The Son of Man is Master of the Sabbath

Saturday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time  7 September 2013

Coloss. 1:21-23.

Brothers and sisters: you once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds;
he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

Ps 54(53):3-4.6.8.

O God, by your name save me,
And by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
Hearken to the words of my mouth.

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.

Luke 6:1-5.

While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a Sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
Jesus said to them in reply, "Have you not read what David did when he and those (who were) with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions."
Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
 

 Commentary of the day :
There were dobbers in the Synagogue too in Jesus time, watching what Jesus did and pulling Him up about His disciple's tiniest transgressions while turning a blind eye to the bigger evils being committed by senior Rabbis.
In the Church there are people who are criticising priests for liturgical infractions whilst refusing to believe there are priests who are sexually abusing children. I don't understand them.
Our Lord in the passage we have from Luke's Gospel shows the paradox by explaining how their ancestral leader King David had apparently broken religious laws in the process of caring for others. His he had allowed His disciples to similarly broach impractical rules while pointing out the hypocrisy in the Jewish hierarchy.

 Vatican Council II - Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy « Sacrosanctum Concilium » § 102, 106

"The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath"

Holy Mother Church is conscious that she must celebrate the saving work of her divine Spouse by devoutly recalling it on certain days throughout the course of the year. Every week, on the day which she has called the Lord's day, she keeps the memory of the Lord's resurrection, which she also celebrates once in the year, together with His blessed passion, in the most solemn festival of Easter...

Recalling thus the mysteries of redemption, the Church opens to the faithful the riches of her Lord's powers and merits, so that these are in some way made present for all time, and the faithful are enabled to lay hold upon them and become filled with saving grace...

By a tradition handed down from the apostles which took its origin from the very day of Christ's resurrection, the Church celebrates the paschal mystery every eighth day; with good reason this, then, bears the name of the Lord's day or Sunday. For on this day Christ's faithful are bound to come together into one place so that; by hearing the word of God and taking part in the eucharist, they may call to mind the passion, the resurrection and the glorification of the Lord Jesus, and may thank God who "has begotten them again, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto a living hope" (1 Pet. 1:3). Hence the Lord's day is the original feast day, and it should be proposed to the piety of the faithful and taught to them so that it may become in fact a day of joy and of freedom from work.

New wine, new skins

Friday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time 6th September 2013

Coloss. 1:15-20.

Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross (through Him), whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Ps 100(99):1b-2.3.4.5.

Sing joyfully to the LORD all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song. 

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
His courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.  

The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.

Luke 5:33-39.

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same ; but yours eat and drink."
Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days."
And he also told them a parable. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"


Commentary of the day :

In Jewish tradition, Elijah was not only a renowned prophet of Israel.  He was also a bit of a trickster and magician, teaching the proud people very hard lessons.  Once, Elijah was walking through a town, when he heard the sounds of a party coming from a very large and beautiful house.  He whirled around and instantly became clothed in the rags of a beggar.  He knocked on the door of the house and when the host answered he took one look at Elijah’s miserable clothing and slammed the door in his face. Elijah whirled around a second time, and was instantly clothed in the fine garments of a gentleman.  He knocked on the door again and, this time when the host looked at his splendid attire, he ushered him in immediately.  At the feast,  there was a long table full of food.  Elijah went to it immediately and began to stuff food into his pockets.  The other guests all stepped back to watch this strange sight.  Then Elijah pushed more food into his shirt and poured wine over his shoulders and down the front of his fine attire.  It was not long before the host became irritated and asked Elijah, "What do you mean by this unseemly behaviour?"  "I came to your door dressed in rags," replied Elijah, "and you did not invite me in.  Then I came to your door – the same person – dressed in fine garments and you welcomed me to your feast.  I could only conclude that it was not me you invited but my clothes.  So I fed them with your food and drink."  The story says that the people were ashamed and looked down.  When they looked up, Elijah was gone.

Catechism of the Catholic Church § 313-314

"The bridegroom is with them"

"We know that in everything God works for good for those who love him" (Rom 8:28). The constant witness of the saints confirms this truth: Saint Catherine of Siena said to "those who are scandalized and rebel against what happens to them": "Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind."

St. Thomas More, shortly before his martyrdom, consoled his daughter: "Nothing can come but that that God wills. and I make me very sure that whatsoever that be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be the best."
 

Dame Julian of Norwich: "Here I was taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly keep me in the faith... and that at the same time I should take my stand on and earnestly believe in what our Lord shewed in this time - that 'all manner (of) thing shall be well.'" And: “Thou shalt see thyself that all manner of thing shall be well.”

We firmly believe that God is master of the world and of its history. But the ways of his providence are often unknown to us. Only at the end, when our partial knowledge ceases, when we see God "face to face" (1Cor 13,12) will we fully know the ways by which - even through the dramas of evil and sin - God has guided His creation to that definitive sabbath rest for which he created heaven and earth.

Put out into the deep

Thursday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time 5 September 2013 St. Lawrence Justinian, Bishop († 1435), Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)   Coloss. 1:9-14. Brothers and sisters: from the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Ps 98(97):2-3ab.3cd-4.5-6. The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. Gospel of St.  Luke 5:1-11. While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.   Commentary of the day:   Today is the day the world lost a shining light. Mother Teresa died on this day in 1997. Wow! Is it that long ago? She was a person who did what Jesus told her, "Go out into the deep". She left her own country & friends and family and went to the poorest place on earth and showed the love of God. People flocked to her and were changed. She helped them see the true things that matter in life. May she inspire future generations with her tender love of Jesus who lives in the poor.  Pope Francis Homily of 14/04/2013 (trans. © Libreria Editrice Vaticana) "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch"   The proclamation made by Peter and the Apostles does not merely consist of words: fidelity to Christ affects their whole lives, which are changed, given a new direction, and it is through their lives that they bear witness to the faith and to the proclamation of Christ... This applies to everyone: we all have to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel. We should all ask ourselves: “How do I bear witness to Christ through my faith? Do I have the courage of Peter and the other Apostles, to think, to choose and to live as a Christian, obedient to God?” To be sure, the testimony of faith comes in very many forms, just as in a great fresco, there is a variety of colors and shades; yet they are all important, even those which do not stand out. In God’s great plan, every detail is important, even yours, even my humble little witness, even the hidden witness of those who live their faith with simplicity in everyday family relationships, work relationships, friendships. There are the saints of every day, the “hidden” saints, a sort of “middle class of holiness”... to which we can all belong. But in different parts of the world, there are also those who suffer, like Peter and the Apostles, on account of the Gospel; there are those who give their lives in order to remain faithful to Christ by means of a witness marked by the shedding of their blood. Let us all remember this: one cannot proclaim the Gospel of Jesus without the tangible witness of one’s life. Those who listen to us and observe us must be able to see in our actions what they hear from our lips, and so give glory to God! I am thinking now of some advice that Saint Francis of Assisi gave his brothers: “Preach the Gospel and, if necessary, use words.”

 

We always give thanks to God for your faith

Wednesday of the Twenty second week in Ordinary Time 4 September 2013

Coloss. 1:1-8.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy ones and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. Of this you have already heard through the word of truth, the gospel, that has come to you. Just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing, so also among you, from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth, as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Ps 52(51):10.11.

I, like a green olive tree
in the house of God,
Trust in the mercy of God
forever and ever.

I will thank you always for what you have done,
and proclaim the goodness of your name
before your faithful ones.

Luke 4:38-44.

After Jesus left the synagogue, He entered the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them.
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God." But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Messiah.
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent."
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.


Commentary of the day :

I have been contacted by people through Twitter lately asking me to defend my belief in an invisible God. Its impossible to prove the existence of God to a person who is intent on covering their eyes. I will save my 'proofs' of God's existence for another blog. But I just allude to St Paul's words quoted today where he praises God for giving people faith. Because faith is a gift that God gives to any who ask. He wont force it on it people who don't want it. Hence, they will never see because they don't want to.
I can look in the eyes of any animal and know it has a divine Creator. How else could such complexity as bi-ocular vision just happen? The colours of the iris, the dilating pupils, the emotion communicated.. didn't all just happen by accident of nature or a collision of electrons.

Catechism of the Catholic Church § 309-310

 

"Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever"

If God the Father almighty, the Creator of the ordered and good world, cares for all his creatures, why does evil exist? To this question, as pressing as it is unavoidable and as painful as it is mysterious, no quick answer will suffice. Only Christian faith as a whole constitutes the answer to this question: the goodness of creation, the drama of sin and the patient love of God who comes to meet man by his covenants, the redemptive Incarnation of his Son, his gift of the Spirit, his gathering of the Church, the power of the sacraments and his call to a blessed life to which free creatures are invited to consent in advance, but from which, by a terrible mystery, they can also turn away in advance. There is not a single aspect of the Christian message that is not in part an answer to the question of evil.

But why didn't God create a world so perfect that no evil could exist in it? With infinite power God could always create something better (St Thomas Aquinas). But with infinite wisdom and goodness God freely willed to create a world "in a state of journeying" towards its ultimate perfection. In God's plan this process of becoming involves the appearance of certain beings and the disappearance of others, the existence of the more perfect alongside the less perfect, both constructive and destructive forces of nature. With physical good there exists also physical evil as long as creation has not reached perfection.

Reflection of Padre Pio on Mass readings of today

Tuesday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time 3 September 2013

1 Thess. 5:1-6.9-11.

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.
When people are saying, "Peace and security," then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labour pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.
For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.

Ps 27(26):1.4.13-14.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple. 

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stout-hearted, and wait for the LORD.

Lk 4:31-37.

Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice,
“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about His word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."
And news of Jesus spread everywhere in the surrounding region.


Commentary of the day :

Saint [Padre] Pio de Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

"Come out of him!"

Don't let temptation frighten you. God wants to test and strengthen your soul by it and gives you the strength to overcome it at the same time.

Up till now your life has been that of a child but from now on our Lord wants to treat you like an adult. However, the trials of adults are far superior to those of a child and that is why you are so upset to begin with. But the life of your soul will quickly settle down; it won't delay. Be patient a little longer and all will be well.

So let all these empty forebodings drop. Remember that it isn't the Evil One's suggestions that put you in the wrong but rather your consent to those suggestions.

Our free will is the only thing capable of good and evil. But when our will is groaning under the trials inflicted on us by the Tempter and does not desire what he proposes, then not only is it not a fault but it is a virtue.

Take care not to fall into anxiety when you are struggling against these temptations because that only serves to strengthen them. You have to treat them with scorn and not worry yourself about them. Turn your thoughts to Jesus crucified, His body laid to rest in your arms, and say: “Here is my hope, the source of my joy! I bind myself to You with all my soul and will not leave You until you have set me safe.”

 

Throwing Jesus off a cliff

Mass readings and reflection for:

Monday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time 2 September 2013

1 Thess. 4:13-18.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.

Ps 96(95):1.3.4-5.11-12.13.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. 

For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
Awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
But the LORD made the heavens.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them.
Then let all the trees of the forest exult.

They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.

Lk 4:16-30.

Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read
and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?"
He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'"
And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Commentary of the day :

Its funny how the people were idolising Jesus (and idealising him) and then next minute when He said something that criticised them, they were ready to throw Him off the nearest cliff.
I know the feeling. When I criticise the Liberal Party over their duplicity or the Catholic Church over their protection of pedophiles I get lots of Twitter followers back slapping me (figuratively) but the second I say “but I am not therefore a leftie, gay rights advocate or welcome boat loads of illegal immigrants to Australia, they turn on me and call me all sorts of nasty words.

That’s what it’s like. Accept it. You will never make everyone love you or happy so don’t try. Be true to yourself and your principles and you will be well rewarded.

You may not have heaps of friends, fame or fortune or Twitter followers, but you will sleep with a clear conscience.  

Faustinus of Rome (2nd half of the 4th century), priest
The Trinity, 39-40, CCL 69, 340-341 (trans. breviary 12th Sunday)

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me"

Our Savior was truly made the Anointed One according to the flesh, becoming true king and true priest. He was both so that nothing might be lacking in the Savior. Notice therefore that he became king, when he says: “I was set by the Lord as king on Zion, his holy mountain” (Ps 2,6 Vg). Learn that he is also priest from the witness of the Father: “You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110[109],4)... He is therefore our Savior according to the flesh, and both king and priest, but his anointing is spiritual and not bodily. The kings and priests of the Jews were given their position by bodily anointing with oil. One man was not both: each was either king or priest. To Christ alone belong perfection and fulness in all things, for he came to fulfill the law also.

Although they could not as individuals be both at the same time, they were called “Messiahs” or “anointed ones” because they had received bodily anointing as kings or priests (cf. Ps 89[88]). Our Savior, on the other hand, who is truly Christ, the Anointed One, was anointed by the Holy Spirit, that he might fulfill what was written of him: “Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows” (Ps 45[44],8). That he was anointed more than those who share the same name “Messiah” lies in the fact that he was anointed with the oil of gladness, which properly means the Holy Spirit.

 

Homily for Fathers Day

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C 1^st September 2013

Fathers’ Day (Australia)

Sirach 3:17-18.20.28-29.

My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favour with God. What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not. The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the wise man's joy.
Water quenches a flaming fire, and alms atone for sins.

Ps 68(67):4-5.6-7.10-11.

The just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to His name;
whose name is the LORD.

The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.

A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;
you restored the land when it languished;
your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.

Heb. 12:18-19.22-24.

Brothers and sisters: You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them, No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

Lk 14:1.7-14.

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 honour at the table.
When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honour. 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."
Then 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 your relatives or your wealthy neighbours, 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."

Commentary of the day:

Happy Fathers’ Day to all the fathers reading. I will be a real father this month with our baby girl Michelle Lucila due around 29^th September. Of course with being a father comes responsibility to be a good example and today in the Gospel Jesus criticises the Pharisees who take it upon themselves to be the teachers of God’s law. When you start to teach, you should be sure that you are a good representation of the subject you are attempting to teach or else your students will see the contradictions and ignore your words. I have met so many atheists through Twitter who tell me they used to be Catholic Christians but after seeing or knowing of so many actor priests, pedophiles or hypocrites they have lost faith in God.

I remind them, we follow Jesus as our model not humans who try to be like Him. Follow Jesus, I say, not the Church, Popes or priests. Only Jesus!

In the time of Jesus the Pharisees who were laymen were looked upon as religious leaders of the Jews. They enjoyed a reputation for keeping the law. They were “the guardians” of the law. Jesus Himself recognises their position though He warns the people about their hypocrisy: They preach but do not practice the law (Matt 23:2-3).

Today’s Gospel reading focuses on the dispute between Jesus and the scribes & Pharisees.  His fame has attracted the attention of these leaders from Jerusalem. These Rabbis do not look kindly upon Galileans who they believe are not strict in their observance of the law. They come to hear Jesus not with the open minds of potential believers, but as critics and judges. They closely observe His words and actions and those of His disciples.

Soon enough they see things to criticise. They notice that Jesus does not seem to care whether His disciples abide by or disregard the law and the traditions of the elders. Some of Jesus’ disciples do not wash their hands as dictated by religious custom and they hold this against Jesus.

In reply Jesus shows up the scribes and Pharisees for what they are: hypocrites. They profess to honour God but they are merely paying Him lip service. While they accuse the disciples of ‘defilement’, they do not realise that they themselves are defiled by their thoughts and desires. Their ritual purification does not help them at all.

William Barclay shares a story that shares some light on this matter:

An old Rabbi was put in a Roman prison and given a regular ration of food and water. As time passed he was observed to be dehydrated. They were baffled because the prison ration of food and water was considered adequate. The guards were told to watch the prisoner closely to see what he did with his rations. It was then that the puzzle was solved. The guards saw the Rabbi performing the religious ritual of washing before he prayed or ate. As a result he had very little water left for drinking.

A few people equate holiness with following empty traditions and this is like having an incredibly long “To Do” list: recite the Rosary, pray angelus and Novenas, contribute to charities.

We are in serious trouble if we think that the only way to please God is to observe these rituals closely, while ignoring responsibilities to love and serve family and others. Even as these rituals are not to be disregarded Jesus tells us true worship of God is a loving and intimate relationship with Him. And from this comes the joy and readiness to serve Him through others.

 

Saint Bruno of Segni (c.1045-1123), Bishop - Commentary on Saint Luke's Gospel, 2, 14 ; PL 165, 406

“Behold, I have prepared my banquet…, everything is ready : come to the feast” (Mt 22,4)

Invited to a wedding feast, the Lord looked round and noticed how all were choosing the first and most honourable places, each person wanting to take precedence of the others and to be raised above them. He then told them this parable (Lk 14,16f), which even taken literally is most useful and appropriate for all who like to be honoured, and fear being put to shame...

However, since it is called a parable, it must have some other interpretation besides the literal one. Let us see then what this wedding feast is, and who are the people invited to it.

This wedding feast takes place in the Church every day. Every day the Lord makes a wedding feast, for every day He unites faithful souls to Himself. Some coming to be baptized, others leaving this world for the kingdom of heaven. We are all invited to this wedding feast - all of us who have received faith in Christ and the seal of baptism This table set before us is that of which it is said: “You have prepared a table before me in the sight of those who trouble me” (Ps 23[22],5). Here is the showbread, here the fatted calf, here the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (Ex 25,30; Lk 15,23; Jn 1,29). Here is the living bread come down from heaven; here placed before us is the chalice of the New Covenant (Jn 6,51; 1Co 11,25); here are the gospels and the letters of the apostles, here the books of Moses and the prophets. It is as though a dish containing every delight was brought and set before us.

What more then can we desire? What reason is there for choosing the first seats? There is plenty for all no matter where we sit. There is nothing we shall lack.