Generosity and Grace

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to act as followers of Christ and show the mercy and love of God in our generous response to the needs of the people in our environment.

Generous Gospel

In the Letter to the Romans Paul proclaims the Triumph of God’s Mercy.

* [11:30–32] Israel, together with the Gentiles who have been handed over to all manner of vices (Rom 1), has been delivered…to disobedience. The conclusion of Rom 11:32 repeats the thought of Rom 5:20, “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.”

* [11:33–36] This final reflection celebrates the wisdom of God’s plan of salvation. As Paul has indicated throughout these chapters, both Jew and Gentile, despite the religious recalcitrance of each, have received the gift of faith. The methods used by God in making this outreach to the world stagger human comprehension but are at the same time a dazzling invitation to abiding faith.

* [11:34] The citation is from the Greek text of Is 40:13. Paul does not explicitly mention Isaiah in this verse, nor Job in 11:35.

* [11:35] Paul quotes from an old Greek version of Jb 41:3a, which differs from the Hebrew text (Jb 41:11a). (Romans, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 69 is complaining of suffering in language both metaphorical and literal.

* [Psalm 69] A lament complaining of suffering in language both metaphorical (Ps 69:2–3, 15–16, the waters of chaos) and literal (Ps 69:4, 5, 9, 11–13, exhaustion, alienation from family and community, false accusation). In the second part the psalmist prays with special emphasis that the enemies be punished for all to see (Ps 69:23–29). Despite the pain, the psalmist does not lose hope that all be set right, and promises public praise (Ps 69:30–36). (Psalms, PSALM 69 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches about Conduct of Invited Guests and Hosts.

* [14:7–14] The banquet scene found only in Luke provides the opportunity for these teachings of Jesus on humility and presents a setting to display Luke’s interest in Jesus’ attitude toward the rich and the poor (see notes on Lk 4:18; 6:20–26; 12:13–34). (Luke, CHAPTER 14|USCCB, n.d.)

A Member of the Creighton University Community asks “How do we make sense of Paul’s words when it is so far from our human experience?” Even Paul says later in the letter; “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!”

We cannot make sense of the divine, but we can believe. We do not have to understand his ways to know that he is the source of infinite love for us - not just those of us who read the words of Paul, but for each and every human he has created. We can be confident that he forgives our transgressions as well as those of all of His creation over and over again.

As I get discouraged with my stumbling through life’s journey, this message from Paul is a wonderful reminder that despite my falters and stumbles, God’s love is a constant. It is a gift that he does not expect to be repaid. It can’t be! (Member of the Creighton Community, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “First and last at the banquet table,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"'When,' he says, 'a man more honorable than you comes, he that invited you and him will say, 'Give this man place.' Oh, what great shame is there in having to do this! It is like a theft, so to speak, and the restitution of the stolen goods. He must restore what he has seized because he had no right to take it. The modest and praiseworthy person, who without fear of blame might have claimed the dignity of sitting among the foremost, does not seek it. He yields to others what might be called his own, that he may not even seem to be overcome by empty pride. Such a one shall receive honor as his due. He says, 'He shall hear him who invited him say, 'Come up here.' ...If any one among you wants to be set above others, let him win it by the decree of heaven and be crowned by those honors that God bestows. Let him surpass the many by having the testimony of glorious virtues. The rule of virtue is a lowly mind that does not love boasting. It is humility. The blessed Paul also counted this worthy of all esteem. He writes to those who eagerly desire saintly pursuits, 'Love humility.'"(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 101) (Member of the Creighton Community, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 14:12-14 notes that Jesus suggests If we are going to host a dinner, do it for nobler reasons. Treat the people around you, both poor and rich, the way God has treated you. Share your bounty with no expectation of return. Don’t get caught up in the quest for influence and control.

Of course, Jesus isn’t telling us never to host a meal or a party with our friends and family. But he is asking us to consider how we can extend hospitality toward people who can’t repay us. The truth is, you may already be doing this! For example, when you take the time to listen to someone who is troubled or to greet fellow parishioners after Mass, that’s hospitality without repayment. God sees all the ways that you strive to create a welcoming space for people who can’t repay you. And he blesses you for them all!

“Lord, help me to care generously for others today.” (Meditation on Luke 14:12-14, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes in Romans Paul marvels at the plan of God in mystery all are called to salvation including those who have rejected, the Jews Who can understand the mystery the mind of God we respond with awe and praise When we hold banquet we should those who cannot repay We are called to reach out to the anawim, invited into the mercy of God in Luke poverty, material and spiritual are to be invite into our lives.

Fr. Mike Schmitz discusses the confidence that faith in God can provide as we fight the battles of our lives. He also engages with the riddles found in Wisdom 10 and points out that we can now not only understand the characters, stories, and allusions of Scripture, but can recognize the fingerprints of God in the world around us and better understand the main character of Scripture: God. Today’s readings are 2 Maccabees 10, Wisdom 9-10, and Proverbs 25:4-7.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers how challenging it is to live out Jesus’ teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. He is grateful that his spiritual father, St. Francis of Assisi, took the Sermon on the Mount seriously and spent his life trying to imitate Jesus. Likewise, Francis’ followers, especially in the beginning, tried to imitate Francis. At its best, Franciscanism offers a simple return to the gospel as an alternative lifestyle more than an orthodox belief system.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us this short but effective image so we will know that we are to act on his words and live the teachings, instead of only believing things about God:  

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise person who built a house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built a house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined (Matthew 7:24–27; Richard’s emphasis).   

Dorothy Day, one of the founders of the Catholic Worker Movement, understood the Sermon on the Mount as the foundational plan for following Jesus: “Our manifesto is the Sermon on the Mount, which means that we will try to be peacemakers.” [1] She observed that “we are trying to lead a good life. We are trying to talk about and write about the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, the social principles of the church, and it is most astounding, the things that happen when you start trying to live this way. To perform the works of mercy becomes a dangerous practice.” [2]  

Jesus taught an alternative wisdom that shakes the social order instead of upholding the conventional wisdom that maintains it. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is not about preserving the status quo! It’s about living here on earth as if the reign of God has already begun (see Luke 17:21). In this reign, the Sermon tells us, the poor are blessed, the hungry are filled, the grieving are filled with joy, and enemies are loved. (Rohr, n.d.)

We consider the experience of Paul and and celebrate the Grace of God and our anointing to preach the Gospel inspired by Francis' challenge to act as Christ and only “use words if necessary”.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 14|USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/14?12 

Meditation on Luke 14:12-14. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/11/03/1421323/ 

Member of the Creighton Community. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-november-4-2013 

Psalms, PSALM 69 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/69?30 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-teaching-to-be-lived-out/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/11?29 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Will Be Repaid at the Resurrection of the Just. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Going With You

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to recall the joy and gratitude we have experienced in the hospitality of others as we extend our hospitality to the people we encounter on our Way.

Let Us Go with You

The Reading from the Prophet Zechariah is from the Seven Oracles: Judah and Zion Restored

m. [8:23] 1 Sm 15:27; Tb 13:11. (Zechariah, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)

Psalm 87 is a song of Zion.

* [Psalm 87] A song of Zion, like Ps 46; 48; 76; 132.

* [87:2] The gates: the city itself, a common Hebrew idiom.

* [87:5–6] The bond between the exile and the holy city was so strong as to override the exile’s citizenship of lesser cities. (Psalms, PSALM 87, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke describes Jesus Departure for Jerusalem and Samaritan Inhospitality.

* [9:51–55] Just as the Galilean ministry began with a rejection of Jesus in his hometown, so too the travel narrative begins with the rejection of him by Samaritans. In this episode Jesus disassociates himself from the attitude expressed by his disciples that those who reject him are to be punished severely. The story alludes to 2 Kgs 1:10, 12 where the prophet Elijah takes the course of action Jesus rejects, and Jesus thereby rejects the identification of himself with Elijah.

* [9:51] Days for his being taken up: like the reference to his exodus in Lk 9:31 this is probably a reference to all the events (suffering, death, resurrection, ascension) of his last days in Jerusalem. He resolutely determined: literally, “he set his face.”

* [9:52] Samaritan: Samaria was the territory between Judea and Galilee west of the Jordan river. For ethnic and religious reasons, the Samaritans and the Jews were bitterly opposed to one another (see Jn 4:9). (Luke, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

Rev. Elvin Cardoso, SJ, comments that we often wonder how to bring others to faith, especially in a world where many walk away from God, or never consider Him at all.

The answer is found in Zechariah’s vision: “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” When we live lives rooted in love, peace, integrity, and prayer, we become dwelling places of the Lord.

But the reverse is also true. If our lives are marked by anger, judgment, gossip, or hypocrisy, then we become stumbling blocks rather than signposts. The Gospel warns us that the temptation to condemn those who reject or misunderstand us is strong. Jesus shows a better way. He simply walks on, always offering peace, always leaving the door open for grace to do its hidden work.

Let our prayer be this: Lord, help me live in such a way that others will say, “Let us go with you, for we have seen that God is with you.” And when I face rejection, help me to walk on in peace, trusting that every village, every soul, is part of Your saving plan. (Cardoso, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus gave power and authority to his apostles,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"It would be false to affirm that our Savior did not know what was about to happen, because he knows all things. He knew, of course, that the Samaritans would not receive his messengers. There can be no doubt of this. Why then did he command them to go before him? It was his custom to benefit diligently the holy apostles in every possible way, and because of this, it was his practice sometimes to test them... What was the purpose of this occurrence? He was going up to Jerusalem, as the time of his passion was already drawing near. He was about to endure the scorn of the Jews. He was about to be destroyed by the scribes and Pharisees and to suffer those things that they inflicted upon him when they went to accomplish all of violence and wicked boldness. He did not want them to be offended when they saw him suffering. He also wanted them to be patient and not to complain greatly, although people would treat them rudely. He, so to speak, made the Samaritans' hatred a preparatory exercise in the matter. They had not received the messengers... For their benefit, he rebuked the disciples and gently restrained the sharpness of their wrath, not permitting them to grumble violently against those who sinned. He rather persuaded them to be patient and to cherish a mind that is unmovable by anything like this."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 56) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Zechariah 8:20-23 notes that Zechariah ministered during the period after the exiles had returned to Jerusalem, when the Lord was asking them to rebuild the Temple. He was called to try to rouse them to keep up with the work. It wasn’t that they had to rebuild the Temple; they got to do it!

This truth can change your perspective; it can bring you joy and zeal. Other people will see it and want to join you! Because, as Zechariah described, the most attractive witness is someone who loves to be with the Lord.

“Lord, thank you for welcoming me every time I pray. May my life reflect your love to everyone I meet.” (Meditation on Zechariah 8:20-23, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Zachariah notes the people of the nations have decided to go to Jerusalem. This introduces universality, a God for all the nations. The Chosen people are to give good witness, like we are called to do by giving examples of the message we preach. In Luke, Jesus' journey to Jerusalem is very long; ten chapters. This was Jesus' main mission. The disciples were not received well in Samaria. The people believed that God was housed in their mount not in Jerusalem. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus has come for all nations.

Fr. Mike Schmitz continues discussing the call of Nehemiah and how we should approach the work the Lord calls us to do. He explains why all work is divine participation in God’s Kingdom on earth and encourages us to remember our service to God and to others, keeping our focus on serving and loving in the realm of our influence. Today’s readings are Nehemiah 3, Zechariah 14, and Proverbs 20:23-26.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that for Francis of Assisi, divesting himself from privilege was a gospel-inspired action, one that we are invited to consider today. 

Relinquishment as a call and a gift means giving up prestige and privilege, learning to listen and to accept criticism, and learning how to use our power differently and ultimately to share our power. At the very least our task as non-poor is to share the power available to us—our resources of wealth, education, influence, and access—with those who have been denied these things. This is not charity or noblesse oblige. It is a fundamental letting go to allow the very structures that benefit us to be transformed.

The way of relinquishment is the lifelong process of removing the obstacles to loving and just relationships with our neighbors on this earth and of moving toward more genuine community among all of God’s children and indeed among all of earth’s creatures and elements, the kind of sisterhood and brotherhood envisioned by Francis. As we help remove the obstacles to the liberation of others, we are simultaneously removing obstacles to our own liberation…. (Rohr, n.d.) 

As we ponder the way to motivate the “Go with You” response we ask the Spirit to open our hearts and minds to extend hospitality to all people.

References

Cardoso, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-30-2025 

Luke, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?51 

Meditation on Zechariah 8:20-23. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/09/29/1392913/ 

Psalms, PSALM 87. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/87?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. The Invitation to Relinquishment. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-invitation-to-relinquishment/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. DailyScripture.net. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=sep30 

Zechariah, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/zechariah/8?20