Posted on 10/30/2021 10:04:21 AM PDT by MurphsLaw
Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 14:1, 7-11
Friends, our Gospel today is the famous passage from Luke’s Gospel dealing with honor at a banquet. Jesus has been invited to the home of a prominent person, one of the "leading Pharisees," and he notices how people jockey carefully for position, status, prominence.
Who will notice me? Who can I impress? And Jesus puts his finger on the most desperate scenario for an egotist. Trying as hard as he can to be noticed, he gets noticed but for all the wrong reasons! His egotistic games backfire dreadfully, as everyone sees him reduced to embarrassment. So what’s the solution? Stop playing the game. Take the lowest place on purpose. Opt out.
Another strategy is suggested at the end of the parable. It’s also a strategy of noncooperation with evil. I’ll have a dinner for people, but only so that they can pay me back with another dinner. So opt out! Don’t play. Invite people to a party who have no capacity whatsoever to invite you in return. "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."
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.”+++
Helpful and very useful parable! Thank you!!
Yet Bobby Barron has no problem exalting the homosexualist, Fr. James Martin, S.J., and presenting him as one to be noticed:
The Troubling Kinship of Bishop Barron and Father Martin
However, it (Martin's book) was also endorsed by none other than Bishop Barron, who wrote that “Father Martin is a winsome guide to all those who want to deepen their friendship with the Lord.” Bishop Barron’s endorsement sent shockwaves through conservative American Catholicism. After all, aren’t Bishop Barron and Father Martin supposed to be on opposing sides of the battle for the soul of the Church? What’s going on here?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.