Nov 3 2020 Reflection

Tuesday 3 November 2020

First Reading: PHIL 2:5-11
Responsorial Psalm:
I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
PS 22:26B-27, 28-30AB, 30E, 31-32
Gospel Reading: LK 14:15-24

Today’s Note: Tuesday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading:

One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

Reflection:

A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. (Luke 14:16)

How about a twist on a familiar parable? We usually read this as a story about God inviting humanity to share in the banquet of eternal life. That’s certainly at the heart of this passage. But let’s also try exploring it as a story about one of our daily rituals: our prayer time.

First, like the dinner host, God is preparing a feast of sorts for us. Every time we come to him in prayer, he is ready to fill us with his Spirit. He seeks to strengthen us so that we can follow Jesus. The Scriptures are rich with imagery of people “feasting” on God’s word. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel ate the words of God, and the psalmist declared that God’s promises were “sweeter than honey” (Jeremiah 15:16; Ezekiel 3:3; Psalm 119:103). Even today’s psalm proclaims that “the lowly shall eat their fill” at the table of the Lord (22:27).

Second, like the man in Jesus’ parable, God is beckoning us to come join him in this feast. And there is no good reason to decline his invitation. Fields, oxen, and honeymoons—these can represent our work and family life. Even these important and holy vocations are meant to flow out of our relationship with Jesus. They’re meant to find their purpose and energy in the grace we receive in prayer.

Finally, what about the people who rejected the invitation? Is God angry with us if we miss our prayer time? No. Rather, he goes to creative lengths to get our attention and draw us in from the “highways and hedgerows” of our busy schedules (Luke 14:23). He doesn’t want us to miss out on his grace.

This different perspective may be helpful if we usually think of God as passively listening while we pray. It’s better to see him as actively hosting our prayer, enjoying our company, and offering us nothing but the finest foods. After all, he’s the One who has been preparing, inviting, and waiting for us. 

Today, try to find one or two practical ways to pray like a guest who’s been invited to a banquet. Maybe imagine the Lord welcoming you warmly when you “arrive”—or personally feeding you whenever a Scripture verse speaks to you.

“Lord, thank you for inviting me to eat with you.”