November 5, 2013

Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 486
Reading 1 ROM 12:5-16AB

Brothers and sisters:
We, though many, are one Body in Christ
and individually parts of one another.

All the Baptized are one body in Christ.

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
let us exercise them:

and we each have different gifts, therefore, let us use them.

if prophecy, in proportion to the faith;

prophecy doesn't necessarily mean foretelling the future.  It also means preaching.

if ministry, in ministering;

ministering includes the ministerial priesthood.

if one is a teacher, in teaching;

teaching means teaching the faith.

if one exhorts, in exhortation;

exhortation is encouraging people to do good.

if one contributes, in generosity;

contributions requires the gift of a generous heart.

if one is over others, with diligence;

those with authority over others, require the gift of caring

if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

And those who have the gift of compassion, should give joyfully, without making the object of their compassion feel bad for needing compassion.

Let love be sincere;

love, caring for others, should not be feigned.  It should not be forced.

hate what is evil,

And we should despise sinfulness and wickedness.

hold on to what is good;

follow righteousness

love one another with mutual affection;

take care of each other

anticipate one another in showing honor.

be polite to each other

Do not grow slack in zeal,

Be enthusiastic in your faith towards God.

be fervent in spirit,

passionate in your pursuit of holiness

serve the Lord.

do the will of God

Rejoice in hope,

Expect the Lord joyfully

endure in affliction,

persevere in caring

persevere in prayer.

continue in prayer

Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,

give to the Church

exercise hospitality.

welcome people to your home

Bless those who persecute you,

Do not return evil with evil but return evil with good.

bless and do not curse them.

pray for those who offend you

Rejoice with those who rejoice,

celebrate with those who are happy and do not make people feel bad about their success.

weep with those who weep.

Be understanding to those who are suffering.

Have the same regard for one another;

Treat all men the same

do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.

Do not be overly proud and do not gloat over the poor.

Responsorial Psalm PS 131:1BCDE, 2, 3

R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.

R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,
so is my soul within me.

R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

In you O God, I have found peace.  Waiting for you, I have found joy.  In you I place all my hope, now and always.

Gospel LK 14:15-24

One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”

Someone who was eating supper with Jesus said, "Happy the man who finds a place at the table of God."

He replied to him,

Jesus replied

“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.

A Rich Man invited a multitude to a feast

When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’

When the time for the feast was at hand, He dispatched servants to call those who were invited.

But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’

But they all excused themselves.

The servant went and reported this to his master.

The servant reported this to his Master

Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled,
the blind and the lame.’

So the Master said, "go and bring anyone that you can find, whether he be sick or lame."

The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’

The servant reported, "Master, your command has been fulfilled and there is still space for more."

The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

And the Master said, "go back out and get more people until My House is filled.  Not one of those previously invited will be allowed to enter."

This is a condemnation of the Jewish people, who were the first invited to dine in Our Father's House.