Never abandon me, Lord; My God, don't stay away from me! Quickly come to my aid, O Lord, my salvation!

First Reading: Romans 12:5-16

Reading of Saint Paul's letter to the Romans – Brothers, 5we, although many, are in Christ one body and all members of one another. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us: if it is prophecy, let us exercise it in harmony with faith; 7if it is service, let us practice service; if it is the gift of teaching, let us consecrate ourselves to teaching; 8if it is the gift of exhorting, let us exhort. Whoever distributes donations, do so simply; whoever presides, presides with solicitude; whoever dedicates himself to works of mercy, do so with joy. 9Love is sincere. Hate evil, cling to good. 10May brotherly love unite you with tender affection, guarding you with reciprocal attention. 11Be zealous and diligent, fervent in spirit, always serving the Lord, 12rejoicing because of hope, strong in tribulation, persevering in prayer. 13Help the saints in their needs, persist in the practice of hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you, bless them and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Maintain good understanding with one another; Do not let yourselves be carried away by the taste of greatness, but accommodate yourself to humble things. - Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: 130(131)

Keep me in peace with you, O Lord!

1. Lord, my heart is not proud, / nor does my gaze rise arrogantly; / I'm not looking for greatness / nor do I have ambitious aspirations! – R.

2. I silenced and quieted my soul; / she is at great peace within me, / like a very calm child, breastfed / in its mother's welcoming lap. – R.

3. Trust in the Lord, O Israel, / from now on and for all eternity! – R.

Gospel: Luke 14,15-24

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Come to me, all of you who are weary, / and I will give you rest, says the Lord (Mt 11:28). – R.

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – At that time, 15a man who was at the table said to Jesus: “Happy is he who eats bread in the Kingdom of God!” 16Jesus answered, “A man gave a great banquet and invited many people. 17At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to say to the guests: ‘Come, everything is ready’. 18But everyone, one by one, began to make excuses. The first one said: ‘I bought a field and I need to go and see it. I ask you to accept my apology’. 19Another said, 'I bought five yoke of oxen and I'm going to try them. I ask you to accept my apology’. 20A third said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t go.’ 21The servant came back and told his boss everything. Then the owner of the house became very angry and said to the servant: ‘Quickly leave through the squares and streets of the city. Bring here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' 22The servant said, 'Lord, what you ordered has been done and there is still room.' 23The boss said to the employee, 'Go out onto the roads and byways and force people to come here, so that my house will be full. 24For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my banquet.'” – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

The banquet is the Kingdom. The invitation to the banquet is the invitation to practice justice. The guests are the Pharisees and, along with them, all those attached to material goods. They make excuses or pursue other interests and disregard the message and works of Jesus. The owner is disappointed, but does not cancel the banquet. He then invites two categories of marginalized people. First of all, those who live in the city: the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame, the unemployed, in short, everyone who is excluded from social life. These the institution rejects as unworthy. Then, since there is still room, he invites those outside the city, that is, all foreigners, in all times and places in the world. God offers his gifts to everyone. It is the human being who refuses to accept it.

(Day by Day with the Gospel 2023)