August 28, 2022 WORD Reflection

WORD

"Then he said to his host, 'When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you.

No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again."

OBSERVE

Networking.

It was said: "tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are."

Jesus encourages his disciples to make friends with people who are "the last, the least and the lost" which are found in the Gospel of Matthew as the people that should have the priority in the heart of the Church.

• The Last: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last” Matthew 20:16

• The Least: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40

• The Lost: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” Matthew 18:11

Let us ask ourselves whether we are true to the words of Jesus.

Are we still concerned with those who "last, least and lowly" of our society? Or are we surrounding ourselves with friends who are "influential, rich and powerful?"

Jesus wanted us to do "networking" with those who cannot give us any "returns of investment."

RESPOND

Lord Jesus Christ, we are weak and hard-headed,

Despite your teachings we fall short of your expectations

We find comfort that you are merciful and patient to those who are lost.

Touch our hearts and those of our leaders to be true to their calling,

which is to take care of those who are "the last, the least and the lowly."

Give us the inspiration to surround your table with them

who cannot return back what we give

because we know that it is you will reward us with eternal life.

Amen.

DISCERN

How can we invite those who are "the last, the least and the lost" in our parties?

Of course, the Lord surely does not mean that we will not invite our friends and relatives to our birthday parties or any gatherings.

What the Lord wants is that we make room for those who cannot return the favor.

I remember when my mother was alive, she would celebrate a special day for the children from the poorer families in our neighborhood. Usually, it would be the Feast of the Holy Child Jesus. During those time she will give a "birthday party" for Jesus.

How about you? How can you invite the poor to become part of your network?

Surely, you can be creative!