“Rather, 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.”

luke 14:13-14

Luke 14:12-14

Reflection

Jesus speaks about inviting those who are unable to pay you back/return the invite to a meal, rather than inviting your friends and relatives who can easily return the invitation for a future meal. His point is that the poor, who can’t ‘pay’ you back in a similar way for the kindness, present you with the opportunity to be repaid at the final resurrection.

When we host parties or meals, generally the attendees invite us in turn to an event they will host in the future. But Jesus doesn’t want us to be ‘repaid’ in that sense. Rather, when we do something (provide meals for the poor, volunteer at homeless shelters, or offer a helping hand) for those less fortunate, we can do it with a more generous heart and humble attitude.

We should always strive to offer assistance to those in need, especially when there is no chance of the ‘favor’ being returned. It not only helps us grow in virtue and decrease our expectation of receiving similar help, but helps us love our neighbors just like Jesus does.

What is one way you can invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind into your life? Check out your local parish or neighborhood for volunteer opportunities. Ask Jesus to increase your desire to help those less fortunate, and to increase your love for our fellow brothers and sisters.

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Saint of the Day

St. Charles Borromeo: 1538 – 1584

“Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical laughter and a derisive shake of the head.”

St. Charles Borromeo, from a sermon in 1599