In today’s Gospel, Jesus overturns our human logic of reciprocity and self-interest. By inviting His disciples to welcome the poor, the crippled, and the excluded, He opens for us the very gaze of God — the gaze that sees the beauty within wounded hearts and makes selfless charity the language of the Kingdom.
In the Letter to the Romans (Rom 11:29–36), Saint Paul contemplates the mystery of divine mercy: “For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be glory forever.” God does not give according to our merits. His love is free, disinterested, unconditional. And it is to this love that Jesus invites us — a love that turns toward those who can offer nothing in return: “When you give a banquet, do not invite your friends; invite the poor, the crippled.” (Lk 14:12–14)
The teaching that Jesus gives to the leader of the Pharisees goes far beyond a simple lesson in courtesy. Invited to a meal, Jesus seizes the moment to awaken both guests and host to deeper realities.
Their awakening becomes clear when one of them exclaims: “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Lk 14:15) He understands that Jesus is alluding to the true banquet — the feast of the Kingdom.
In this context, Jesus encourages His host to invite those who are unable to return the favor, such as the poor, because the Kingdom of God is characterized by the welcome of the poor and the marginalized into the feast of salvation. To act in this way, here and now, is to adopt the gaze of God and to stand in solidarity with those who await His salvation.
In the spirituality of the Child of Bethlehem, this call finds its center: God became small to reach the small. The eternal Son, born in the poverty of a manger, drew near to all who have no place. To adopt God’s gaze is to recognize in every wounded face a spark of Bethlehem’s light. It is to let ourselves be shaped by divine tenderness — that humble mercy which stoops down to raise up. Gratuitous love then becomes the mark of our faith, and compassion the path toward the joy of the Kingdom.
Christ invites us to move beyond calculation and to enter into pure generosity. The disciple’s true joy does not come from what he receives, but from the communion he creates. Every shared meal, every act of solidarity, becomes a sign of God’s great banquet. May we live our vocation as servants of God’s joy — those who fill the halls of the Kingdom by inviting the forgotten and the poor.
Prayer of the Day (Prayer of Pope Francis, 2019)
For the millions of children bent under the pangs of hunger,
who have lost their smile yet still wish to love.For the millions of young people who, with no reason to believe or to exist,
search in vain for a future in this senseless world.We pray to You, Father: send workers for Your harvest.
For the millions of men, women, and children
whose hearts still beat strongly to resist,
whose spirits rebel against the unjust fate imposed on them,
whose courage demands the right to priceless dignity.We pray to You, Father: send workers for Your harvest.
For the millions of children, women, and men
who refuse to curse but choose instead to love and to pray,
to work and to unite, so that a land of solidarity may be born —
a land, our land, where every person gives the best of themselves before they die.We pray to You, Father: send workers for Your harvest.
That all who pray may be heard by God
and receive from Him the strength
to eliminate the misery of a humanity made in His image.Amen.
Scripture references
- Romans 11:29–36
- Luke 14:12–14
To Reflect
- Who are the poor and forgotten that the Lord places on our path today?
- How much space does our faith leave for generosity and compassion?
- How can our community become a sign of God’s banquet — open to all?
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