Rejection of Jesus’ invitation is rejection of His kingdom

November 3, 2015

Tuesday of the Thirty-first week in Ordinary Time 

Saint(s) of the day : Saint Martin de Porres, Religious 1579-1639),  Saint Hubert, Bishop (657-727) 

Readings

Letter to the Romans 12:5-16a

5So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. [1] 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith;[2] 7if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; 8if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.[3]

9Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; 10love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.

11Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. 

13Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. 

14Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them.[4] 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

16Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.

Psalms 131:1-3 

1LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me. 2Rather, I have stilled my soul, like a weaned child to its mother, weaned is my soul.

3Israel, hope in the LORD, now and forever. 

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 14:15-24

15One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, "Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God."[5] 16He replied to him, "A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. 17When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, 'Come, everything is now ready.'

18But 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.' 

19And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.' 20And another said, 'I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.'

21The 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.'

22The servant reported, 'Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.' 23The master then ordered the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. 24For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.

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Notes on Readings

[1] Romans 12:5 - One body in Christ: on the church as the body of Christ, see 1 Corinthian 12:12-27.

[2] Romans 12:6 - Everyone has some gift that can be used for the benefit of the community. When the instruction on justification through faith is correctly grasped, the possesser of a gift will understand that it is not an instrument of self-aggrandizement. Possession of a gift is not an index to quality of faith. Rather, the gift is a challenge to faithful use.

[3] Romans 12:8 - Over others: usually taken to mean "rule over" but possibly "serve as a patron." Wealthier members in Greco-Roman communities were frequently asked to assist in public service projects. In view of the references to contributing in generosity and to acts of mercy, Paul may have in mind people like Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2), who is called a benefactor (or "patron") because of the services she rendered to many Christians, including Paul.

[4] Romans 12:14-21 - Since God has justified the believers, it is not necessary for them to take justice into their own hands by taking vengeance. God will ultimately deal justly with all, including those who inflict injury on the believers. This question of personal rights as a matter of justice prepares the way for more detailed consideration of the state as adjudicator.

[5] Luke 14:15-24 - The parable of the great dinner is a further illustration of the rejection by Israel, God's chosen people, of Jesus' invitation to share in the banquet in the kingdom and the extension of the invitation to other Jews whose identification as the poor, crippled, blind, and lame (Luke 14:21) classifies them among those who recognize their need for salvation, and to Gentiles (Luke 14:23). A similar parable is found in Matthew 22:1-10.