Sunday Vigil

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Luke 14,1.7-11

Now it happened that on a Sabbath day he had gone to share a meal in the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this, 'When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, "Give up your place to this man." And then, to your embarrassment, you will have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, "My friend, move up higher." Then, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be raised up.'

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Jesus is still in the house of the Pharisee who invited him to dinner and has just healed the man with dropsy. He continues to teach to those present seeing how the guests were trying to take the best seats. We could say that this is nothing new. Still today it is a very common behaviour in life, and not only at the table. Everyone looks to put him or herself in the place of honour or at least to receive the most attention and consideration from others. Often, life's difficulties, instead of making the spirit of solidarity grow, impel us towards an even more hectic search for the first place. Jesus suggests to his listeners an attitude of humility and attention towards others and exhorts them to abstain from seeking the first place. The evangelist thinks of each one's place in front of God's eyes, in His kingdom. No one should think of his or herself above others. We can think of Jesus' attitude ; he who " did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave" (Phil 2:6-7). Jesus clarifies: it is the Lord who gives each one the dignity and honour he or she deserves. We cannot give our places by vaunting our merits. It is the Lord who shows us the place from which we witness the love he has given us. And, in any case, it is good that one of the rules of life is attentiveness to others, especially the weakest, before ourselves. The Lord turns his gaze particularly to the lesser ones. It is a sort of biblical law, the reversal of the world's criteria for judgment: the one who recognizes that he or she is humble and a sinner will be exalted by God, and the one who claims being recognized and given the best place risks excluding him or herself from the banquet. This is why Jesus states: "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." It is not just a Christian rule, it is also an attitude of exquisite human wisdom.