bukas palad: August 2022

Year C / Ordinary Time / Week 22 / Sunday

Readings: Ecclesiasticus 3.19-21, 30-31 / Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11(R/v cf 11b) / Hebrews 12.18-19, 22-24a / Luke 14.1, 7-14

"The heart of a sensible man will reflect on parables, an attentive ear is the sage's dream" (Ecclesiasticus 3.29)

These words from Ecclesiasticus remind us that listening to God's teaching can help us grow in wisdom. We need to hear this wisdom to live our Christian life well. It reminds us that we come to heaven by way of humility and charity. This is in fact God's instruction to us today in the First Reading and in Jesus's message in the Gospel.

We might find ourselves drawn to the image of the meal Jesus is invited to at the Pharisee's house. Our imagination might helps us see the scene and experience the meal. The sights and smells of the food. The sounds of the conversation and interactions. The feelings of being there with Jesus, his host and the guests.

If we reflect a bit more on this meal, we might be surprised that Jesus is giving really wise advice to both guests and hosts about finding true happiness at the heavenly banquet. We must listen to Jesus for we are these guests God invites. We are also these hosts God calls us to be for others, especially, the lesser.

To guests, Jesus says, "Wait before you take your place at the table lest you be asked to move if someone more important arrives." This is more than a lesson about table manners. It is advice - wisdom, really - on how to find our true place in the Kingdom of God. By acting humbly and taking the lower place when we relate to others.

These two ways are how Jesus lives and serves throughout the Gospels. He does because his heart is meek and humble. In our parish, before every Mass, we pray that our hearts be like Jesus's heart, meek and humble. Are they?

We need humble hearts to stop choosing the places of honour at the table, jockeying for position, pushing ourselves forward for fame and face. Yes, "humble" your hearts," Jesus exhorts, "and take the lower place; then you will more likely be exalted, even recognised for your humility."

To hosts, Jesus says, "Real blessings will come to hosts who invite guests who cannot repay your invite." These guests will make our hearts bigger and more charitable to gather, welcome and include everyone. This is why he pushes us to extend our guest list beyond our immediate circle of family and friends.

"Invite the poor," Jesus instructs. In our context, this includes the migrant labourer, the foreign domestic help, forgotten old in HDB 1 room flats and all those in need whom we will meet. Some of them could even be our family members who are estranged or work and school mates who are struggling spiritually and mentally.

When we do this, we will learn a different way of inviting and a different level of association. It is this: no matter our differences because of 'race, language or religion,' values or politics, gender or sexual orientation, education or economic background, we are all God's family. We will because we will see anew - and again - that all of us share in the same dignity as as persons. Everyone made in the image and likeness of God. Everyone is God's own and beloved. Everyone is worthy to be guests at Gods heavenly banquet. Everyone is gifted to host others and celebrate God's goodness together.

So how will such hosts be repaid? In the same ways as the guests who humbled themselves. Indeed, whether guests or hosts - and anyone else - who hears, obeys and follows Jesus's teaching today, it will be in heaven as it is on earth that they are God's guests. In fact, they are those exalted guests Jesus praises because they would have behaved humbly and found favour with God as our first reading teaches.

Wise are all who hear this teaching today, take it to heart and enact it in their lives. They are God's sensible people, at home with God always.

Are we not this people too?

Preached at Sacred Heart Church, Singapore
photo: northwestenmutual.com

Year C / Ordinary Time / Week 21 / Sunday

Readings: Isaiah 66.18-21 / Psalm 116.1,2 (R/v Mk 16.15) / Hebrews 12.5-7,11-13 / Luke 13.22-30

"There are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last" (Luke 13.30)

These are Jesus's words. They end today's Gospel reading. Hearing them might disturb us. We strive so hard to live and practise our Christian faith well. Shouldn't all our efforts move us to the front of the line for Jesus to save us first? For us to enter heaven first, ahead of others?

Perhaps, this is how we sometimes think and feel. I am the dutiful Christian. I love God and serve neighbour. I obey the commandments. I give to the poor. I care for family and forgive my enemy. Shouldn't I be among the first Jesus saves for God?

To be first. To be numero uno. We tend to want to be first, to want things easy, to have everything handed to us on a silver platter. We can't be wrong for society also declares this is right - "Be first! That's all that matters."

Our Gospel says the exact opposite. We are not first. Jesus is.

If we choose Jesus, we must put him first. This includes making his way, our way. Journeying with Jesus through life and faith to reach heaven is not easy. It will lead us, like Jesus, to Jerusalem and the Cross. It will be challenging and demanding. This is what Jesus means when he says enter through the narrow gate to salvation.

Jesus's own way through the narrow gate to resurrection life involved denying self for God and others. "No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends" (John 15.13). Jesus lived like this, always and totally.

How willing and ready are you and I to do as Jesus did and love another sacrificially, especially, those who hurt or disappoint us? Do we do this in small things like putting aside our pride to say 'sorry,' giving way to another's better idea at work or in school and letting go of myself importance to celebrate another's giftedness? If we are given the grace to lay down our life physically for others, like Jesus did, will we? All these ways involve denying self and loving sacrificially. Are we ready to choose to do this and so enter through the narrow gate to our salvation?

I believe we want to say, "yes, I can." However, in our hearts we struggle to do this. We do because we face the tension of wanting everything Christian faith promises, especially salvation, to be handed to us and Jesus' demand that we hand over ourselves to Him. We struggle to choose the narrow gate.

Jesus recognises our struggle. This is why he challenges us today not to feel entitled or privileged that because we are Christian we will automatically enter heaven. Christian life means following Jesus's way to heaven; we must choose and enter it by living, loving and serving sacrificially like he did. This way of loving God and neighbour is always open to all, never closed in on itself or for itself or a selected few. This kind of love puts others first, itself last.

In fact this is how God loves. God gathers, welcomes and includes everyone. This is how God declares his love through Isaiah: "I am coming to gather the nations of every language." Jesus echos this truth about God when he says, "all from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast when in the kingdom of God."

Who will be missing at the feast? The entitled, the privileged, the self-righteous, all who brandish their Christian faith like a membership card expecting first admission, all who do not want to enter through the narrow gate. These are the ones who put themselves before everyone else. They expect to be first in line.

Don't we know otherwise and better from Jesus's teachings? Throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells us who are the guests God will call to the heavenly banquet. In addition to the good people who live in God's ways, the hobbling cripples and lonely widows, the blind who cannot see but can smell and taste. Indeed, all the last, the lost and the least society shuns always make it onto God's guest list to enter His Kingdom.

Haven't we heard Jesus? Do we Catholics include, welcome and make room for the divorcee, the ex-prisoners, the migrants and refugees, the LGBT persons, all society despises, to join us at the altar and receive communion?

It would help us to remember those who were invited at Jesus's birth. The custom then was that when a baby was born to a respectable family, they would send messengers to announce the birth. The messengers would be sent to the right sort of people, friends of the family's social class and in the best neighbourhoods in the city. These people would be the first who are invited.

When Jesus was born, cradled in Mary's arms, God sent messengers, his angels, to announce this birth. They went to the shepherds first. These were the lowly and smelly. They were very poor labourers, the lowest esteemed in Jewish society. They are however the 'right sort' of people for Jesus, God-with-us. They are really people of God's own social class standing for shepherds are the last and least, like Jesus was the least in choosing to be born in a stable and poor and vulnerable like them.*

Indeed, the right sort of people must be informed and invited. Shepherds were at Jesus's birth. Could we be them too when we are the lowly and last in order to love others first and sacrificially?

Here we are at Mass. All are welcomed, however saintly or sinful we have lived this past week. Soon the gifts of bread and wine will be prepared and the altar set. The Eucharist, God's feast for us, will be ready. Everyone will be invited to step up, come forward and partake.

Let us take up the lowest and last place. There we will find no other than God himself. He has preceded us there to feast and feed everyone. Yes, "strong is his love for us; his faithfulness forever" (Psalm 117.2). Indeed, to be the lowly and last is how we can be most Christian and ready to enter the narrow gate.

Shall we?

"Adapted in part based on Trappist reflections, Spencer Abbey.

Preached at Sacred Heart Church, Singapore

photo: time.com

bukas palad

with open hands, we give what we have first received. and with open hands, we receive what we will divest, once again. this is blessing itself: the giving and receiving of life and love, the sharing of faith and God.

Homily: At the Table

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Homily: Others First

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