One Minute Reflection – 5 November – Tuesday of the Thirty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 14:15–24 and the Memorial of St Guido Maria Conforti (1865-1931)
“‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame…”… Luke 14:21
REFLECTION – “He turned to the Gentiles from the careless scorn of the rich. He invites both good and evil to enter in order to strengthen the good and change the disposition of the wicked for the better. The saying that was read today is fulfilled, “Then wolves and lambs will feed together.” He summons the poor, the maimed and the blind. By this, he shows us, either that handicaps do not exclude us from the kingdom of heaven and whoever lacks the enticements of sinning rarely offends, or that the Lord’s mercy forgives the weakness of sinners. Whoever glories in the Lord glories as one redeemed from reproach not by works but by faith.
He sends them into the highways, because wisdom sings aloud in passages. He sends them to the streets, because he sent them to sinners, so that they should come from the broad paths to the narrow way that leads to life. He sends them to the highways and hedges. They, who are not busied with any desires for present things, hurry to the future on the path of goodwill. Like a hedge that separates the wild from the cultivated and wards off the attacks of wild beasts, they can distinguish between good and evil and extend a rampart of faith against the temptations of spiritual wickedness.” … St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father & Doctor of the Church (Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 7)
PRAYER – Almighty God, to whom this world with all its goodness and beauty belongs, You give us life to joyfully follow Your commandments and to learn Your ways. Guard our hearts, that we may always hear and accept Your invitation and race to attend Your banquet in honour of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Fill us with an active love to run our race in holiness and may the prayers of Your servant, St Guido Maria Conforti, be a help in our efforts. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.
AnaStpaul 