Holy Family of Bordeaux - Province of Ireland and Britain

The Lord will not abandon his people, the Psalmist assures us today. Paul in Romans also tells us that God does not reject his people, definitely not. The Jews as the chosen people, are still loved by God. God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choices. This is certainly most consoling for us all and something to which we can cling through thick or thin; no matter what we do, God does not give up on us. Are we sometimes tempted to turn our backs on him??

Gospel Luke 14:1. 7-14

We are amazed to find Jesus once again dining with the Pharisees, even though they have made it clear to him that they want him to move away. In human terms, we wonder why he bothers, knowing well they have rejected him. Jesus shows his willingness, indeed remarkable courage, to stay engaged with those who are openly hostile. He always takes the opportunity to teach his audience something. On this occasion he has noticed how the guests have sought the higher places at table, and emphasises the importance of humility, “ the one who exalts himself will be humbled, the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Alleluia, proclamation of the gospel bids us to:

Accept God’s message for what it really is:

God’s message and not some human thinking .

There is no doubt about this message and its content, no option.

Gospel Luke 14: 1-6

Once again, the themes of healing, legalism and hypocrisy occur in this gospel. Jesus has gone for a meal to the house of one of the rich Pharisees;

They watch him closely, are they trying yet again to catch him?? The conversation would seem to be one sided. There was a man there with dropsy, Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees “ Is it against the law to cure a sick man on the Sabbath, or not?? They remained silent, so Jesus took the sick man, cured him and sent him away. Again he addressed them: “Which of you, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a Sabbath, without hesitation?” And to this they could find no answer.

Who could possibly object to the healing of a sick man on the Sabbath, and yet these Pharisees, so devout and religious on the one hand, and so difficult and inhumane on the other, could not agree with what Jesus did. It seems that they clung to the letter of the law but let go of the spirit . They were good people in their own way but very closed to God’s working among them.

Let us go back to the proclamation, accept God’s message…

God’s message and not some human thinking; We are all called to be open to the work of God and the spirit in our lives and in our midst.

Save me, O Lord, because of your love.

Help me, Lord my God.

Let them know that this is your work,

That this is your doing, O Lord.

Loud thanks to the Lord are on my lips,

I will praise him in the midst of the throng,

For he stands at the poor man’s side

To save him from those who condemn him.

Each day the Psalm gives us confidence that God is on our side, on the side of the poor.

Today’s gospel story tells us of Jesus’ rejection by the Pharisees and
their “invitation” to him to leave Jerusalem, “because Herod means to kill you.” Jesus sees through their cunning; he knows clearly that they and Herod want him out of their way. Their increasing hostility towards him is obvious. Jesus recognised their cunning, he knew what was in their hearts.

However, Jesus is equally determined to do his Father’s tasks appointed to him, ie his plan of salvation. Nothing will divert him from this. It would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.

While Jesus is adamant about doing his Father’s will, he is also sad that Jerusalem is rejecting him and his message, the love of God for all humanity. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you refused. Your house will be left to you…..”

We ask ourselves: how often have we rejected Jesus and his message, those who bring us the message??

Jesus went into the hills to pray and spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came, he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them “apostles.”

We notice that Jesus always spends time in prayer and fasting before making any major decisions. He often reminded his apostles (and through them, us,) of the necessity of prayer and fasting in our lives. I suppose we now call this discernment; we need to ensure we have the right ingredients eg prayer and fasting .

Tradition tells us that both these apostles, Simon and Jude, preached the gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia. Jude is also called Thaddeus. Because of the disgrace associated with Judas Iscariot, the traitor, his name has been shortened to Jude. Again tradition tells us that these two apostles laid down their lives for Christ, being martyred on the same day.

The apostles are our brothers in faith; let us give glory and praise to God for them today.