Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
October 31, 2022
Daily Reading from the USCCB: Luke 14:12-14
At dinner in a Pharisee’s home, Jesus reminds him that it is better sometimes to invite those who cannot repay what he has done for them. In fact, those are the special occasions when the prominent man will get nothing in return because he is feeding those who are poor and destitute. A gift given to someone incapable of returning the favor is the greatest gift of all.
If the Pharisee is willing to wait and have faith, the Lord will take care to see that he is rewarded at the resurrection, when God’s gift is not just exquisite food and drink. Rather it is a reward of peace and joy and total happiness with God and his angels for all eternity.
Parents struggle to teach their children patience and to remind them to trust that if they do what they are supposed to do, they will indeed be rewarded. Jesus’ reminder is for all of us to understand that living out the gospel in our lives here on earth will provide us with a happiness only God can give. St. Paul says, “Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard…what God has prepared for those who love him.” It is truly a time worth waiting for.
