Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Saturday in the Thirtieth Week of Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
484

FIRST READING

Phil 1:18-26

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

PSALM

PS 42:2, 3, 5CDEF

Response: My soul is thirsting for the living God.

As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.

Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?

I went with the throng
and led them in procession to the house of God.
Amid loud cries of joy and thanksgiving,
with the multitude keeping festival.

GOSPEL

Lk 14:1,7-11

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Daily Reflection

“Living is Christ to me”! What does Paul mean by this? For him life truly began when he first encountered Christ, and because of his belief in the resurrection, he believed that even though he may be put to death, he would continue to live with Christ. Today’s first reading is from one of Paul’s letters when he was a prisoner in chains. Death was imminent. And even though the anxiety of losing one’s life would be unbearable, Paul courageously declares that his suffering gave him an opportunity to share in the work of Christ.

It is this joy of proclaiming Christ that makes life worth living. This is a beautiful approach to life - to see death as a fulfillment of our life’s work as co-workers in God’s plan of salvation. And Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel, that even though our part may be small and our place way behind, we can be sure to receive our rightful place at the Lord’s table.

Humility is not a depreciation of ourselves, but an appreciation of God’s plan for us.