Dear Parishioners,
In our Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus is dining with one of the leading Pharisees, and He takes the opportunity to teach a valuable lesson. He tells him a parable whose theme is one that is often repeated in scriptures. Jesus uses the parable of guests being invited to a special dinner.
Some of the guests wanted to sit at the places of honor, close to the host to establish their importance or to get recognized. But Jesus cautions them that this desire may not always work out as they had hoped. In a way, Jesus is saying that some things are just not meant to be decided by us, but rather they are best left to our Father in heaven who knows all and sees all.
It may seem perfectly logical to try to insert ourselves in a position that allows us to be noticed. But Jesus advises us to do what may seem illogical, what may seem to be counter-intuitive. He is saying— take the lowest place because in doing so, you are in fact elevating yourself in the eyes of God.
Jesus teaches us to exercise humility because humility is the recognition that what we have in life is only ours because God has allowed us to have it. If we use the gifts God gave us to better others, we honor God in two ways: (1) by loving our neighbor, and (2) by being grateful for His abundant goodness.
This Gospel reminds us of one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” So don’t worry so much about how to get noticed, focus on the actions and let God do the noticing.
In other words— don’t try to micro-manage God— He’s got this!!!
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito