As We Welcome a New Season

 I was struck by the message shared by our parish priest last Sunday when he talked about Jesus who is giving a good advice regarding banquet etiquette. It was such a relevant one relating it to our welcoming a new season which is spring.

As we say goodbye to winter, we embrace with warmness this new season as it brings us a warmer weather and atmosphere. We are happy to embrace this new season with warm attitude as it also brings us awareness to opportunities for new growth of love and peace among us.

Going back to the gospel last Sunday, what I heard from our priest is that since the best place at table may have been reserved for someone with greater importance, everyone else should choose the lowliest place. Then maybe the host will invite him/her to take a seat  at the head of the table. Jesus taught them a lesson on humility: “Everyone who exhalts himself will be humbled and the man who humbles himself will be exhalted.” (Lk 14.11).

Actually the priest said that this is a glimpse of God’s heavenly banquet, which shows hospitality and equality to all of those whom the world has excluded: the marginalized members of our society, the poor, the beggars, the flood victims, the oppressed etc..  He further said that God’s gift of salvation is not only for us because of merit or good fortune but for all.

I was personally struck by this point from Father Vincent since this is very relevant nowadays. And even with those very prominent countries, one could still see some inequalities from them- the very presence of  those unfortunate members of the society is overwhelming. Though the intensity would differ from poor countries on which there is a large percentage of marginalized group like those living in slums, those who don’t have the resources for education, food and shelter, those who are unloved and many more.

Apart from this, there is an invitation for all of us to extend our love to this unprivileged group through our means like extending financial help, sharing our resources such as clothing, toys, and by offering petitions for them to be at constant peace and safety.