Where all Families are Holy

By Reverend Katherine Elsner

Once again this week the readings provide multiple ideas that we can use in our daily lives. The readings share with us some things we need to do and some things to avoid.

In the first reading from the ancient book written by Sirach around 150 yrs BCE, we heard words in this wisdom book about humility. Sirach was telling his son about how to conduct his affairs.
Sirach said that if we perform our tasks with humility, then we will be loved by God and also loved by those who love God.
Sirach even said that God reveals secrets to the humble.
Though I don’t know what these secrets are, humility sounds like something we really need to think about!

We hear more about humility during the story in Luke, who talks about seating arrangements at a banquet when Jesus went to dinner at the house of a Pharisee.
Back in the day of the dinner party of this story, table etiquette was a structured affair.
Guests were seated according to a clear hierarchy of importance. The place of honor was at the right hand of the host.
The person who sat to the left was in second place, while other places went down from there.

At the very end of the table were the places for those seen as having a lowest importance. You probably aren’t surprised at what three groups were last: children, slaves and ??? women!
Therefore, this story lets us know indirectly that all of the people of importance were men, which is also no surprise!!
Thank God we have moved away from this structured table arrangement in many ways.
Though not all, of course, especially that women continue to be excluded from priesthood by the institutional Catholic church over 2,000 years later.

In this and other stories about meals, found in Luke’s gospels, Jesus makes a break, through some of the barriers in society and in religion.
This story was not about a moral teaching like many parables. Nor was Jesus giving a lesson on how to behave at a dinner party.
Jesus was talking about our standing with God; note that God is the host at the banquet in this story who welcomed everyone, no matter where they sat.

With whom did Jesus identify in this story during his life?
Did he identify with the man in the highest place at the right hand of the host? No.
Or did Jesus identify with those who were relegated to the bottom of the table?
As we know from this story and many others in scripture, Jesus always identified with the lowly, the outcast, the beggar on the side of the road.
He stood up for the woman at the well.
He revealed himself first to Mary of Magdala, a woman, after his resurrection.
He identified with all who were in need of mercy & acceptance.
As Mary Bretscher witnessed to us last week during her sharing, we all live in brokenness in some way.
We are all part of this one human family, in need of love, mercy and acceptance.

I visualize the wedding banquet in this story as heaven.
It shifts the perception of heaven from God on a throne looking down on earth (or anywhere), to a dinner for all who sit anywhere they choose because they are loved & accepted by the host, where every place at the table is a place of honor.

It changes our view from God looking down on us, to God looking upon us with a smile, with love, compassion, care and concern.
God is not judging us at every minute of the day and keeping score.
God is with us by being with us, not over us, or up there somewhere.

I visualize God being with us at HF, being with our community, not looking down upon us and seeking to find something wrong with us. I visualize HF as a Eucharistic community.
That is, we gather together each week to be nourished by the bread, the wine, the prayers, the companionship that we share during mass, so that we can leave the table to go and do likewise in our communities outside of HF:
communities like our personal family, our clubs, our neighbors, our colleagues at work, our volunteer groups, our dance groups, our best friends, etc, etc.
Everyone lives in the sight of God as equals.
How could it be otherwise!
It says to me that everyone is welcome at the table of life, at the table of heaven, and at this Eucharistic table.
There is a place at the table for everyone.

To me, this is the essence of humility. Looking upon and treating others as equals, which requires being humble.
Probably none of us think of ourselves as humble.
It’s always been such an abstract idea for me!
Of course there are people, including ourselves, who at times fall short of being humble.

I’ve come to realize that it’s God’s job as host of the banquet of life to offer the meal of living to everyone.
And that it is my job as a guest at the table of life to let God take care of her job, while I focus on being a human who tries to embody love, care, compassion and concern for other human beings, and non-human entities, to the best of my ability.

I believe that we are humble when we are honest; we recognize our own strengths and limitations, while appreciating the gifts and talents of others, appreciating their views and perspectives.

I try to constantly recall that God is with me, beside me, not looking down on me.
That God is happy when I am happy with how I have treated others.
That God is always ready to show mercy to me when I need it, as well as to others.

Yes, God is always ready to share love and mercy with everyone at the table of life and at the table of Holy Family.
Humility makes room for everyone.

Amen, Holy Family!