Gospel: Luke 14:12-14
Jesus also addressed the man who had invited him, and said, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, or your brothers and relatives, or your wealthy neighbors. For surely they will also invite you in return, and you will be repaid. When you give a feast, invite instead the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Fortunate are you then, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at them resurrection of the upright.”
Reflection:
"The dignity of all people as children of God."
Saint Martin, the son of a freed slave and a Spanish nobleman, was a lay Dominican who dedicated himself to the poor and needy, the sick and the dying. As a result, he was known as “the Father of the Poor.” Saint Martin saw the dignity of all people as children of God. It’s that dignity which is at the heart of Christ’s words in today’s Gospel. Christ is not challenging the idea that we should spend time with friends, but we are to widen our attitude of welcome, and reflect on our motivations. Do I cultivate real friendships or are my relationships built on self-interest? Likewise, do I ignore the poor or sick? If so, is it because their affliction hides their dignity from me? Or is it because, from the mindset of utility, I see no benefit in their company, or I see them as an inconvenience to my plans? The virtues of charity and humility help us to see the dignity of others and to recognize our own limitations. God worked marvels through Saint Martin de Porres, but he was always humble, giving due praise to God. He said, “I only care for you; God heals you.”
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