Canonization of Mother Marie Eugenie
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Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 2, 2007
Sirach 3: 17-18, 20, 28-29
Hebrews 12: 18-19, 22-24A
Luke 14: 1, 7-14
Two Outrageous Parables
Jesus is at the house of one of the chief priests for a feast and, on this occasion, he tells two parables. The first is about a marriage feast and the other is about an ordinary meal. In their way, these parables are outrageous. Would we really seek the best place at a marriage reception? And would we not invite someone who could return the invitation? Nonetheless, the conclusions of the two parables invite us to go further.
"Whoever raises himself up will be humbled; whoever humbles himself will be raised up" takes up a theme that is dear to Luke – the reversal. The Magnificat is an introduction: all that is considered human grandeur, pride, power and wealth will be dispersed, destroyed, brought down, while the humble and the hungry will be raised up and filled. And thus a love is revealed that puts into question all that abases, humiliates and excludes the poor and little ones in our human socieities. It is a love that will lead Jesus to his death.
"You will be happy because they have nothing to give you in return" is the Beatitude that concludes the second parable. It clearly shows that the gift of God will be bestowed on whoever is capable of giving gratuitously.
Thus, Jesus, who invites us to communion with himself, reminds us that this intimacy calls for a community dimension (of which marriage is a symbol). Happy are we if our following of Christ is not a pretext for manipulating events and people in order to mask our own ambitions. Happy are we if we are capable of giving freely with no strings attached, of being attentive to the little ones and the poor without thinking about what we might get out of it. The pride that makes us think we are above others, that we merit special treatment or service, can take subtle forms. We have to examine our hearts, each one, to see what perverts our fidelity in the following of Christ. Yes, we shall be happy and blessed if, little by little, we take on his ways of being and doing with the confidence that this way is indeed the way to life.
- Sr. Sophie Ramond, RA