Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 5, 2024
One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘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.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
Although not listed for today’s Mass readings, Sts. Elizabeth and Zachariah are listed in the Roman Martyrology for today. (This is the historical record documenting the lives and miracles of Christian saints and martyrs from the early Roman Church to the present day.) Given today’s dinner invitation from Christ, I would like to ponder what sort of guests this holy couple would have been. Are they an example of those who received an invitation in the later round, when the servant went out to those who had waited patiently but in hope, the “poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame,” the barren? If so, what can we learn from these saints?
Elizabeth and Zechariah were “righteous in the eyes of God” and, from the very beginning, shared a burning desire for a child. Over time, this hope became a series of challenging questions. Why would God permit Elizabeth to be barren? Why would prayers go unanswered? Family and friends would raise similar questions. Elizabeth came to describe her predicament as a “disgrace before others.”
At some point, Elizabeth chose to trust. In the depths of her heart, she would acknowledge that God had already expressed his love to her in so many ways. She would accept the uncertainty of all that was ahead. Still, she prayed daily for what she believed to be both good and right. Undoubtedly, Zechariah joined her in all this. By persevering in trust, they could accept life’s challenges as an invitation. God responded with a child of great joy who led them, and all of us, to Jesus.
So, if we come to a time in our life when circumstances turn against us — when we are the poor and the outcast — may we have the wisdom to follow their example. May we trust in the unfailing depth of God’s love, which provides a way for challenges to become invitations to a banquet that is being prepared for each of us.
Prayer
There is a message for us, Lord, in your story of the one who gave a great dinner, invited many guests, but none of them came. Help us to know your call, and to respond in charity and kindness to those who need our assistance. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Elizabeth and Zechariah were the parents of John the Baptist. Elizabeth was the cousin of the Virgin Mary, and Zechariah was a priest in Jerusalem. As depicted in this stained glass window from the Basilica, an angel visited Zechariah in an incense-filled vision when he was in the temple. The angel told him that Elizabeth, who was well beyond child-bearing years, would have a son and they should name him John.
Zechariah doubted the news and the angel struck him mute. When their child was born, he was consulted as to what name their son should be given. When he wrote on a slate that the boy shall be called John, his speech was restored.
After the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would bear the Son of God, Mary traveled to be with Elizabeth as she prepared for motherhood. Upon hearing Mary's greeting, Elizabeth cried out:
"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed in the fruit of you womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."
— Lk 1:42-45
We celebrate this moment on the Feast of the Visitation, which is held on May 31 each year to mark the end of the month dedicated to Mary.
Elizabeth is the patron of pregnant women. Relics of both Elizabeth and Zechariah rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, as does a piece of the house they lived in.
Saints Elizabeth and Zechariah, parents of John the Baptist who prepared the way of the Lord—pray for us!
