HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II (2)

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II.

THEME: When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.

BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA.

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 31 2022.

*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Philippians 2:1-4
Psalm 130
Luke 14:12-14

*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
GREEN

*THEME OF THE HOMILY*

*FROM THE FIRST READING*
The call of Jesus in the gospel reading is reflected in Paul’s call to the church of Philippi in the first reading, ‘always consider the other person to be better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first, but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead’. Each of us in our own way, in our own sphere of influence, is called to help create, with the Lord’s help, this new kind of diverse community that Jesus began to form during his ministry and continues to inspire as risen Lord. The Lord inspires us to build communion not just with our own kind but with those who are very different from us.

*FROM THE GOSPEL READING*
In this morning’s gospel reading Jesus addresses himself to a wealthy Pharisee who was his host at a meal. The Pharisees tended to eat only with their own kind. Jesus challenges his host to invite to his table those he would not normally invite, people beyond his circle. Jesus, in contrast to his host, shared table with all sorts of people, with the rich and the poor, with the educated and uneducated, with the religious and those considered sinners, with men and with women. His very broad table was a symbol of his whole ministry. He did not exclude anyone from his outreach.

*CONCLUSION*
The liturgical readings of today shows us that, Jesus He wanted to reveal the year of the Lord’s favour to everyone, especially to those who would have considered themselves outside of God’s favour. By his whole way of life, including his style of eating, Jesus was revealing the broad hospitality of God. In contrast, the God whom the Pharisees revealed was a God who wanted to exclude more than include. The gospel reading calls on all of us to reveal something of the hospitality of God by our whole way of life. We can all be tempted to exclude others, even whole groups of people. It is very easy to move purely within a circle of people whose outlook, attitudes and social class are like our own. The gospel reading this morning invites us to keep widening our circle so that it reveals more and more of the expansive heart of God revealed for us in the life of Jesus.
I wish everyone a Blessed week ahead especially i pray for all our little ones writing thier final exams.