Today's Thoughts...

Today’s Thoughts: Our Gospel today retells a familiar parable told by Jesus of the wedding guest who makes his way up to a seat of honor and then must go through the embarrassment of finding a lower seat because there is someone more important than he at the party.  The obvious message is that a little humility is a good thing.  It is far better to underestimate one's station in life and be called forward as opposed to being displaced and must take a lower place.
 
Perhaps a more important aspect of the story is what it says about Jesus as a person. A a modern analogy to this dinner might be one of us being invited to a private dinner with someone of power and stature — let's say the mayor of a city or the cardinal archbishop of the dioceses.  If I were invited to such a dinner and saw various people clamoring for the mayor's or the cardinal’s attention, that I might remark on it to a friend later, but I doubt that I would call them on it at the dinner.
 
But that's exactly what Jesus did.  He called out those rushing for the places of honor.  Why?  I think the answer is that Jesus' message was, and still is, radical.  We still possess an instinct that importance in this world automatically equals a special place with God.  To be sure, many well-known and powerful people have done a great deal of good and have surely earned a special place with God.  But Jesus was saying then, and says to us now, that there are many ragged people — of Jesus' time the beggars and the prostitutes — who have earned a special place with God as well.  If we cast them aside, either literally or figuratively, we miss Jesus' message.
 
Have a great Saturday everyone!