Reading 1
phil 2:5-11
Brothers and sisters:
Have among yourselves the same attitude
that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and, found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Responsorial Psalm
ps 22:26b-27, 28-30ab, 30e, 31-32
R. (26a) I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
“May your hearts be ever merry!”
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
All the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
For dominion is the LORD’s,
and he rules the nations.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
To him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
Gospel
lk 14:15-24
One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But 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.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The 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.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: EMPTY, ROOM
"I want My house to be full." –Luke 14:23
Our God is constantly inviting us to share in His life, live in His love, receive His body and blood, read His Word, share our faith, serve Him, and even suffer with Him and die for Him. Often we may not even be aware of the Lord's many invitations because we are possessed by our possessions or preoccupied with relationships which are actually only projections of our selfishness on another person (see Lk 14:18ff). We will continue to be oblivious to the Lord's invitations or be aware of the Lord just enough to reject Him unless we empty ourselves as Jesus did (Phil 2:7). Only when we crucify ourselves (Gal 2:19), our "flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24), and the world (Gal 6:14) will we be empty enough to hear and accept the Lord's invitations.
Before Jesus was born, there was not room for Him in the inn (see Lk 2:7). This situation persists to the present day. Is there anyone not so stuffed with stuff that he or she can and will hear the Lord? Is there anyone empty enough to accept the Lord's invitation to be filled with Him? "Absolute fullness" resides in Jesus (Col 1:19) because He chose almost absolute emptiness. Empty yourself even unto "death on a cross" (Phil 2:8). Make room for Jesus. Accept His invitations.
PRAYER: Father, I accept Your invitation to empty myself.
PROMISE: "At Jesus' name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!" –Phil 2:10-11
PRAISE: In addition to his lengthy daily prayer time, St. Charles, a cardinal with heavy responsibilities, set aside two hours daily for meditation.
Be an inspiration, kindly Share.
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