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Commentary on the Gospel for Tuesday, November 5, 2024
In the parable of the great supper, Jesus bitterly exposes the reluctance of the chosen people to accept salvation. He knows that what Hosea prophesied will be fulfilled: «And I will say to him who was not my people, You are my people, and he will say, You are my God. There is joy, because salvation will reach everyone, and pain, because in this people, His people, many will not accept salvation.
We, the baptized, are this new people, are we not? As members of the Church, yes. But when each one examines himself, it may be that the personal response, when we go to the bottom, does not correspond to what we proclaim when we sing, for example, «we are a people that walks» or «together as brothers, members of one Church».
It is a question of priorities that becomes very visible when it comes to the celebration of Mass and personal prayer.
Mass and personal prayer: our daily choices come before the good, the good and the beautiful, in capital letters. That is, to be with Jesus, of whom St. Paul says in the first reading: «God has exalted him above all things.
And it is not because following him requires a certain degree of heroism. Let us say that every Catholic is called to sanctify the feasts in the way the Church has foreseen: by going to Mass. In short, a law of minimums. Let us also say that some, and quite a few, maintain the fiction that they practice, but at their own pace. What is the priority in our lives? What do we put before the Eucharistic banquet or a time of prayer and silence dedicated to the Lord? Banal pretexts with a discreet disguise of goodness to cover coldness, indifference, laziness. Also, and above all, incomprehension and ignorance of what this banquet really is. The Catechism states: «The Eucharist is the source and summit of all Christian life.
Like the guests in the parable, we excuse ourselves because there are «important» things that prevent us from going. Certainly, giving help when it is urgent, caring alone for an elderly person who needs help, caring for the little ones when no one else can do it… are reasons enough. But often our excuses are as ridiculous and as easy to procrastinate or ignore as those presented in the parable. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to know what is essential, what nourishes our faith.