The art of giving

Luke 14:12-14

           When the current Bishop of the Roman Diocese I live in was installed, he caused quite a stir over some of his choices. One of the most notable was his eviction of a group of nuns from a church building. The intent was to use the space for his own living quarters. Right off the bat you easily could ask why one Bishop requires all the space that an entire group of nuns occupied, but I digress. The real wind started to blow when the nature of his renovations came to light. A notable example was the two wine refrigerators, one for whites and one for reds. I am sure this is no different than what is found in some of the more opulent homes in the diocese. However, this is the Shepherd, the Bishop. One needed to ask several questions. One was the expenditure. Was this money wisely spent and was there a better use for the money? Second, what was the need? Was this to enrich his own lavish lifestyle or was this merely to live a life that required entertaining people that expected such lavishness. None of the questions ever got answered to any satisfaction.

             So I wonder what the good Bishop says about todays' passage. In honesty though, what do we each think of this passage?  In this, one of the richest areas of the country, have most of us not bought into the concept of bigger is better, fine dining for those who can afford it and if we get a gift we simply must reply in kind.

           Heaven forbid we we take this passage in any way in a literal way. What would the world come to? It would be social upheaval of the worst kind now wouldn't it?

           But let's look it at a bit figuratively. Is this not a metaphor for how God treats us? Who is invited to God's table? Simply everyone is invited and not a single one of us are capable of repaying God in kind. We cannot repay God for the graces he has bestowed upon us. And so if we are to live by example and even remotely emulate the love and generosity of God, it behooves us to be as generous as we can and with no expectation of repayment. In fact we should give to those who have no possibility of repayment in kind. 

            This is a concept lost in a world gone mad with materialism. This seems especially rampant in the area in which I live.  We are called though to act differently. We are called to give more than generously to those who are in need and do so quietly and joyfully. It is the art of givng.

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’