Luke 14: 12-14
How many of us would consider Jesus' teaching on dinner invitations for our own house, or our parish? That we can find so few examples in two thousand years of anyone inviting the poor and outcasts to dinner or to the Eucharistic table suggests yet another selective reading of the Gospel and insistence on obedience to the Lord. Yet, the Gospel passage speaks even more to our reactions when certain people enter a room.
Consider: a star professional football player enters the narthex to attend Mass. Whispers fly about the nave, and people talk about this event all day. We then advertise celebrity faith participation in order to obtain worldly prestige, influence, and wealth. Now consider: a poor, raggedy African American enters the narthex to attend Mass. Whispers of a different kind begin: keep an eye on him, he could be dangerous or he may ask for money. Everyone keeps their distance and he is not welcomed in any way.
These scenarios happen every weekend. We are enamored of the celebrity Christian, and we demean the poor Christian week after week. Today's Gospel challenges us to reflect on our attitudes, to repent of them, and to regard every human being as a person and not a means to power, influence, and wealth.
No comments:
Post a Comment