Gospel: Luke 11: 37-41
Imagine inviting someone over for dinner and you spend the entire time criticizing that person for all the different things they do wrong, or you spend the time criticizing other people for all the things they do wrong. It would not be much of a dinner party and most people would not want to return. This is exactly the dynamic of the dinner party to which Jesus is invited in today's Gospel. The Pharisee spends his time criticizing Jesus for failing to do this and that for the entire time.
By contrast, whenever Jesus is invited to the table of a tax collector or other sinner, he is just welcomed into the home and everyone partakes of dinner. There is no criticism of Jesus or anyone else; the presence of Jesus is allowed to be and take effect on people. Then what happens is that the host realizes his sinfulness, realizes his shortcomings, and they make resolutions to give away their possessions and help the poor.
What type of host are we to Jesus? Do we invite Jesus to our homes in order to justify ourselves, to show him how "faithful" and righteous we are by criticizing others? Or do we invite the Lord to our home and table in order to allow his presence to transform us and others, that we might become better for the occasion?
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