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“St. Charles Borromeo”
by Orazio Borgianni, 1610-1616 |
Readings for Monday of the
Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem
Bible [2]
Readings and
Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Philippians 2:1-4
If there is any encouragement
in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the
Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of
the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one
thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness
or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others
as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his
own interests,
but (also) everyone for those
of others.
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Commentary on Phil 2:1-4
St. Paul continues his affectionate teaching of the Philippians,
enjoining them to be in harmony with each other if they wish to make him, their
brother and exemplar, happy with them (“complete my joy by being of the same
mind”). He tells them to place the good of their brothers and sisters
before their own interests, in this way adopting an attitude also of humility
which will be exalted in the Kenotic Hymn in the next verses.
CCC: Phil 2:1 2842; Phil
2:4 2635
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 131:1bcde, 2, 3
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
LORD, my heart is not proud;
nor are my eyes haughty.
I do not busy myself with
great matters,
with things too sublime for
me.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
Rather, I have stilled my
soul,
hushed it like a weaned
child.
Like a weaned child on its
mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
Israel, hope in the LORD,
now and forever.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
--------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 131:1bcde, 2, 3
Psalm 131 is an individual lament praying for harmony and humility
among the members of the community. The singer proclaims trust in the Lord and
peace, like children's contented peace, secure in the knowledge of the love and
protection of their parents.
CCC: Ps 131:2 239; Ps
131:2-3 370
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Gospel: Luke 14:12-14
Then he said to the host who
invited him,
"When you hold a lunch
or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or
your brothers
or your relatives or your
wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you
back and you have repayment.
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.
For you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous."
-------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 14:12-14
("On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading
Pharisees.” 14:1) Following on the teaching about
humility (those seeking places of honor at the banquet), Jesus now goes on to
speak of service to the poor and to those who could not be expected to pay (or
repay) for kindness or service. The purpose of this discourse reflects Jesus’
concern that his disciples should minister to the poor, not just to those who
could repay them for their efforts.
-------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
There is a very subtle
difference between pride and expected courtesy on occasions where guests are
invited into one’s home. On the one
hand, we feel obligated to serve our guests the foods they will enjoy, in a
home as clean and comfortable as we can make it. On the other hand, there is “one-upmanship”: The thought that we went to dinner at
so-and-so’s house last month and they set an opulent table, so in our turn we
must try to outdo them. Our menu must be
more exotic, our home more inviting and bedecked with more signs of secular
success. This attitude is the one Jesus
addresses to his disciples in St. Luke’s Gospel.
When we think about whom we
minister to, do we gravitate toward those who have much to give in return, or
do we seek those who have nothing, in order to give them something? Do we serve others who in turn can serve us
(and better), or do we offer our service, knowing as Christ encouraged, that we
will not be repaid?
St. Paul, addressing the Philippians, clearly has an
idealistic view of how the Christian community should operate. He wishes his disciples to be in complete
harmony and unity with one another, sharing the wealth of the community
equally, a very communal view of church.
That would mean then that when a new member was brought into such a
community, the expectation would be for that person to share what they had,
great or small, and to receive an equal share (which might be larger or smaller
than what they brought to the community).
There was good reason for the
Pauline communities to establish a three-year introduction to the communal life
(their form of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults [RCIA]). They needed to make sure the shared faith and
attitudes were there.
Back to the main message: “We are fools on Christ’s account,” as
St. Paul has said elsewhere (1 Corinthians 4:10). As such, we give without expectation of
repayment. We offer help without
expectation of reciprocity. Our example
is Jesus who never turned his back on those in need and offered the most
unworthy people a place at the wedding banquet.
If we are worried that a person might take advantage of us, we have
probably not made a deep enough commitment to help that person.
Perhaps an explanation is
needed for that statement. If we are
asked, say by a person begging on the street, for money so they can buy food,
why not, instead of money, take that person to a place where they can be fed? (This does not mean to throw out common
sense! We must have a prudent and
realistic view of potentially dangerous situations. Act in concert with people you trust, not
alone.) If a person asks for work, offer
work if you can and reward that person generously. Many who, out of pity, give money to such
people are contributing to degrading their dignity.
The key point Jesus is making
in the Gospel is the need for those with more to look after those with less. It
is a consistent message of love, love of those with more for those with less,
love of those in power for those who are powerless, love by those who are loved
for the unloved. And this will be our
prayer for today; that we may use the examples of the saints to love the poor
and build up the Body of Christ that is the Church by extending the loving hand
of Christ to those we meet.
Pax
[1]
The picture used today is “St. Charles Borromeo” by Orazio Borgianni, 1610-1616.
[2]
S.S. Commemoratio[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible,
with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the
International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is
not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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