TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED ! ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Daily Reflections

Monday, 6^thNovember 2017.

Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time

Rom 11:29-36;

Ps 68:30-31, 33-34, 36-37;

Lk 14:12-14,

TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED!

Luke today narrates the incident where Jesus was invited by a Pharisee for a dinner. At the time of Jesus, it was the normal custom of the people to invite friends, brothers and relatives to eat. And nobody would sit at table with unknown persons. They would sit around the table only with persons who were their friends. But Jesus is not happy with this practice of the people. He orders to break the closed circle and asks to invite the excluded: the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Jesus by doing this leads us to a source of blessing: “And then you will be blessed for they have no means to repay you”. We have to act without selfish interests to experience this blessing. Jesus is reminding the society once again to go beyond social structures and boundaries and spread the gospel of love.

We often fall into the trap of working for rewards, especially for rewards which are immediate. But today’s Gospel reveals that our lives of service should be lived in such a way that we expect no repayment here and now. Rather, we should anticipate our reward in Heaven. This can be hard to actually live, for it requires great selflessness and concern about the other without expecting anything in return. But when we understand this spiritual principle, we will realize that “payment” is not only awaiting us in Heaven, it is also received through our act of selflessness here and now. The “payment” we receive here and now for acts of selfless service of others is holiness of life. By showing selfless love and mercy to another, we imitate our merciful God and become more like Him. This is a greater reward than we could ever receive from another.

Prayer: Lord, give me a heart that is full of mercy and compassion for all those in need. May I daily seek to serve them without any expectation of reward. May these acts of mercy be reward enough and become a source and foundation of my holiness of life. Jesus I trust in You. Amen.