💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 31 💖

First Reading - Philippians 2:1-4

Gospel - Luke 14:12-14

One of the threats to our community life is the problem of individualism. The Christian life is communitarian in nature. The communitarian life is slowly being daunted by individualism because it distances us from the community and from one another. The readings of today invite us to overcome the threat of individualism by the virtue of love.

The first explains the meaning of true love that should be among Christians. Paul encourages the Christians in Philippe to manifest love among themselves motivated by their faith for Christ. Paul highlights two important points in this regard: Firstly, the Christians should be united in love for the sake of Jesus giving way to rivalry, completion and conceit. He emphasizes that their faith in Jesus must lead them to accept everyone without disparity or distinction. Secondly, Paul lays stress on sacrificial nature of love for one another. He expounds it by marking the attitude every Christian should have, like, self-effacing love where everyone considers the other more important than oneself. This attitude manifests sacrificial nature of love where pride or superiority complex finds no place among Christians.

The gospel passage outlines the importance of the prudent use of wealth in winning the reward from God rather than from people. Jesus' instructions to the leading Pharisees on 'whom to invite' is vividly geared to remind us all that while we invite all our friends, well-wishers, relatives, we shouldn't forget the poor, blind, crippled, and lame etc. The reference to the poor, the blind, the crippled and the lame etc shows that those who are of poor social status also are important for God even if they are not for people. When Jesus asks to invite them, it means to bridge the gap of disparity and distance. It means to look at everyone as God looks at everyone with equality and respect. It's this attitude of ours can win God's reward for us.

Dear friends, it's undeniable that as we live in the world of social communication and hi-tech technology, the distance among ourselves has widened. At times, we live in the same house but we are still far from one another. The readings are inviting us today to reconsider the life we live. Paul, in the first reading, exhorts us to live in unity and love by caring for one another, understanding one another, being ready to help one another. They all manifest our love for God. Wherever love flourishes, God finds His ways there.

The gospel also invites us to break the distance and disparity among ourselves by being able reach out to all. It's really demanding - to reach out to all particularly the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, the abandoned, the lonely and the sorrowful. When we extend our hands to people those who can help us back later, there is no merit in that but if are able to extend our hands to those who can't pay it back to us, Jesus tells us, there lies meritorious gestures. Let's be ready to be an instrument of love to all those who are in need.