'Please give this person your place.

"For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled,

and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Philippians 1:18b-26

Christ is

Proclaimed and, because of this, I rejoice and have no regrets.

I know that all this will be a grace for me, because of your prayers,

and the help given by the Spirit of Christ. I am hopeful, even certain,

that I shall not be ashamed. I feel as assured now, as before,

that Christ will be exalted through my person, whether I live or die.

 

For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I am to go on living,

I shall be able to enjoy fruitful labor. Which shall I choose? So I feel torn between the two.

I desire greatly to leave this life and to be with Christ, which will be better by far,

but it is necessary for you that I remain in this life. And because I am convinced of this,

I know that I will stay, and remain with you, for your progress and happiness in the faith.

I will surely come to you again, and give you more reason for being proud of belonging to Christ Jesus.

 

Ps 42:2, 3, 5cdef 

My soul is thirsting for the living God.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 14:1, 7-11 

One Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and he was carefully watched.

Jesus then told a parable to the guests, for he had noticed how they tried to take the places of honor.

And he said, "When you are invited to a wedding party, do not choose the best seat.

It may happen that someone more important than you has been invited; and your host,

who invited both of you, will come and say to you, 'Please give this person your place.

 

What shame is yours when you take the lowest seat!

Whenever you are invited, go rather to the lowest seat, so that your host may come and say to you,

'Friend, you must come up higher. And this will be a great honor for you in the presence of all the other guests.

For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

Steadfast in our faith in Christ.

One may be inspired and wonder how someone can live out his or her faith despite the troubling odds one faces.

We hear of many Christians all over the world being persecuted yet remaining steadfast in their faith in Christ.

It is truly inspiring to hear those stories. Only a person who has fallen in love with the Lord

and has grown into that relationship can offer himself or herself for the sake of that love.

because they have believed in him and loved him. Not all of us are called to a life of martyrdom.

 

Yet Only a deep relationship with Jesus can endure the pain inflicted by others solely

there are many decisions in our daily lives where we are confronted with choosing what is of Christ and what is not.

We may find ourselves far from those troubled areas because of faith differences,

but we don't have to be distant to profess the same faith in the decisions we make every day.

It can happen in the very place where we find ourselves, wherever and whenever.