FIRST READING
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul tothe Romans (Romans 12:5-16a)
“We are individually members one of another.”
Brethren: We, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practise hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 131:1.2.3
R/. Keep my soul in peace at your side, O Lord.
O Lord, my heart is not proud,
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great,
nor marvels beyond me. R/.
Truly, I have set my soul
in tranquility and silence.
As a weaned child on its mother,
as a weaned child is my soul within me. R/.
O Israel, wait for the Lord,
both now and forever. R/.
ALLELUIA Matthew 11 :28
Alleluia. Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, says the Lord. Alleluia
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 14:15-24)
“Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”
At that time: One of those who sat at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; please, have me excused.’ “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; please, have me excused.’ “And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ “So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ “And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ “And the master said to the servant, ‘ Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.”’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
The twist in this Gospel is that salvation is offered to everyone; God invites all. Among those invited, the choosing is not done by him; the choosing is ours in response to God. This response is a clear choice to do all we need to do in our daily living to witness to the presence of the kingdom of God. To God’s invitation to come to the banquet we respond each day in many ways: when we help clothe the poor, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, we are choosing to come to God’s banquet. How we respond to people in our ordinary lives and multiple situations all mark how we choose to respond to the invitation God gives each one of us to come to the divine feast.