There is often a popular myth that Catholics sit at the back of the Church so that they can be called forward and thus be recognised for their contribution to the community. However, it may be a false humility that does not want the person to be noticed, and may even mean that they can leave earlier than everybody else. It could also mean that they avoid the congestion and the rise of tensions that often can put our charity to the test when leaving the car park. Whatever the reason, this weekend's gospel could be seen as justifying why we hold back from being pushed to the front!
The question is more about how we discover how to make a home for the poor. This is not about not wanting to draw attention to ourselves, but rather recognising that God calls us to gently go about our work without fanfare or heraldry. It is the attentive ear that seeks to be present to the affairs of the heart. It calls us to be open to how God communicates in a language that can be understood by us. It says that everybody is a firstborn son and a citizen of heaven. This means that we do not have to prove ourselves worthy of God's love but rather discover how we are drawn into that love.
This is why Jesus so often proclaims the kingdom of God as similar to a wedding feast. Usually, couples spend a lot of time analysing to ensure that the right people sit at the right tables so that they may feel at home during the celebration. The invitation is to participate and be present as you are, not as you think you should be! In this way, we begin to notice that our attention is not focused on ourselves, but on how we are present to others. This is to say that it we are not we who decide who is worthy of being invited to the feast, but instead that God sees all people as welcome.
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