Key:
What these passages tell us about God
What these passages tell us to do
What these passages tell us not to do
Commentary/observations
Reading 1 ROM 11:1-2A, 11-12, 25-29
Brothers and sisters: I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Of course not! For
I too am a child of Israel, a descendant of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel?
Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world,
and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number.
I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers and sisters,
so that you will not become wise in your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
In respect to the Gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarch. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel?
Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world,
and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number.
I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers and sisters,
so that you will not become wise in your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
In respect to the Gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarch. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Responsorial Psalm PS 94:12-13A, 14-15, 17-18
R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon
his people.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD, whom by your law you teach, Giving him rest from evil days.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
For the LORD will not cast off his people, nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Were not the LORD my help, my soul would soon dwell in the silent grave. When I say, "My foot is slipping," your mercy, O LORD, sustains me.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD, whom by your law you teach, Giving him rest from evil days.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
For the LORD will not cast off his people, nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Were not the LORD my help, my soul would soon dwell in the silent grave. When I say, "My foot is slipping," your mercy, O LORD, sustains me.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Alleluia MT 11:29AB
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, For I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, For I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 14:1, 7-11
On a sabbath Jesus
went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people
there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.
He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
1.
God is faithful to us. That is expressly
stated in the psalm, and underlies the first reading.
2.
God is faithful even when we are not
faithful to Him. That is explicit in the first reading. It seems to be implied
in the gospel. Jesus goes to visit “one of the leading
Pharisees,” and the Pharisees, as a group, had
problems being truly faithful to God. Yet Jesus visits them and blesses them
with loving instruction.
3. Given
God’s great faithfulness, we should not hesitate to come to him when we are in
difficulties, even difficulties of our own making. See
Hebrews
4:16; James
1:2-6.
4.
We are, however, to approach God humbly,
meekly, and without pretense. We see that in the alleluia verse and the gospel.
5.
The alleluia verse tells us that we are
to “learn from” Jesus’ example. As just discussed, He is faithful and seeks out
even those who are not; so we ought to be with our fellow man.
No comments:
Post a Comment