Daily Catholic Lectio
Saturday, 4 November 2023
Saturday of the Thirtieth Week of the Year
Romans 11:1-2, 11-12, 25-29. Luke 14:1, 7-11.
Move up higher!
“If the place of honour is not sought but is given, we will become respectful and honourable.”
Jesus’ dining at the house of the Pharisee becomes an occasion for a miracle (Jesus heals a person suffering from dropsy) and preaching (Jesus preaches on humility).
Jesus was keenly observing what was happening in front of him and around him. He was mindful of others’ presence and actions. This is the quality of a person who has social intelligence. Jesus not only observes what happens in front of him but also responds to those events.
To the dinner to which Jesus has been invited, others too were invited. They were seeking to take the seats of honour – maybe the first seats or the seats close to the main guest!
The primacy of a seat is relative. In buses and trains, the prime seats are those at the windows; in a flight, the prime seat is that which has more legroom; in cinemas, the seats in the last row are the prime seats. In banquets and public functions, the first-row seats are prime seats.
Why do we seek prime seats? (a) The sense of pride or feeling proud. The feeling that I am better than or superior to others is a common experience. Often, we compare ourselves with others and feel proud. (b) We attach our honour to external things or persons. We live by the myth that honour comes from outside of us. (c) Because of our fear of being humiliated, we aggressively push ourselves to the seats of honour.
Jesus gives us two lessons:
(a) Do not seek yourself the prime seat! It may be taken away from you.
(b) Do not refuse the prime seat when it’s offered to you! You will become respectful and honourable.
The gospel reading concludes with a wise saying: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
‘I expect nothing! I refuse nothing!’ – a person who lives with this mindset becomes honourable in his or her own eyes.
Being humiliated in banquets or family functions, our names missing in the invitations, our names forgotten in the vote of thanks, honour given to someone who has not merited it, when someone else takes credit for our work, when others are indifferent to us – these occasions of humiliation at times create scars in us. These scars tend to remain lifelong unless we work on them. It is necessary that we live a life worthy of respect in our own eyes.
If I score 100 in respect from outside but score 0 in self-respect, I am a failure. However, even if I score 0 in others’ eyes but score 100 in my own eyes, I will be a success.
In the first reading, Saint Paul continues to feel sad that his own people, the people of Israel, refused to accept Jesus as Christ. They were first when it came to divine election, but the Gentiles became the first in faith. Paul waits in hope that the elected people will come to the front seats again!
“If the place of honour is not sought but is given, we will become respectful and honourable.”
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us about humility: “He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer” (cf. n. 2559). Humility makes us take the first seat in the heart of God.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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