Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Reflecting on Luke 14: 1, 7-14

We don’t like the message of humbling ourselves any more, of course. That’s not good for our self-esteem. But not to worry. Bidden or unbidden, opportunities for falling on our face are right around the corner.

For example, today’s “parable”―although it really is more a cautionary tale― actually happened to me once. My husband Ben and I had arrived at a wedding reception earlier than everyone else. We set our present on the table next to the cake, and randomly chose two chairs and sat down. Sure enough, when the wedding party arrived they headed straight for our table. We were actually sitting in the chairs reserved for the bride and groom.

I’ll never forget that moment of sheer humiliation when I realized that they were hovering around us, not because they wanted to talk with us more than any of their other guests but because they were waiting for us to move! Just remembering it now makes me blush from head to toe.

Of course, after we speedily retreated to the last table in the room we both said, “Can you believe that happened? We walked right into the wedding story from Luke’s gospel.” Don’t you love when you find a connection between your experience and a story told by Jesus, the Master Storyteller?

But here’s the best connection of all: Invite people into your life who can’t repay you, says Jesus. Cultivate friendships with those are humble in this world. The story has now taken an intimate turn, for it turns out that WE are the friends Jesus has cultivated. WE are the ones who can never repay him. He sought US out. That’s the best place at any table.

How does being a child of God foster humility in you?

Kathy McGovern ©2016

Ordinary Time - Cycle C