Be radical

The last time I set foot inside a bookstore, I was amazed to see the number of books that were scattered among the shelves, each of which bore titles dealing with self-improvement, enhancing self-esteem and assertiveness.  Thanks to the wonders of modern-day technology, many of these titles are now available at our fingertips.  Books can still be read in paper format, but increasingly, they can also be accessed in audio and electronic formats, all available on a smartphone.  In a world where so much information is instantly available, it seems that our appetites for knowledge are never quenched.

In today's gospel account, Jesus says that when you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour ... instead, go and sit down at the lowest place (Lk 14:8, 10).  In other words, we should not presume such honours for ourselves.  In the words of one of my professors, we should not become puffed up with pride or think ourselves better than others.

Jesus was radical in his challenges as he faced the power brokers of his time.  He constantly challenged them to put others ahead of themselves and to reach out to those who could not repay their kindnesses ... and the gospel continues to challenge us even today: how we interact with others, who we invite to share our dinner table ... these choices and others like them indicate the type of people we truly are.  Every day, Jesus invites us to move away from being self-centred and to become increasingly other-centred in our choices and actions.

As our relationship with God continues to grow, we realize day after day how much we are loved.  We develop increasing abilities to understand the strengths and limitations that we possess.  As we gather for this Eucharistic celebration, we give thanks to God who dwells within us, and the more we come to recognize the depth of God's love for us, the less we feel the need to be first in line, or to have the best seats in the house.