Where are you sitting today?

Our Gospel reading is about Jesus at a wedding banquet. We hear about his attending a wedding at the beginning of the Gospel of St. John, and His first miracle of changing water into wine. Today, St. Luke tells us of Jesus attending another party or possibly a wedding. Jesus seems to be enjoying himself, and many are watching him and looking for something to criticize.

Have you ever been in a situation like that? Jesus was not shy about telling what he thought at this celebration. He observed certain guests putting themselves forward as being especially important. Perhaps they didn’t have seating cards. The seating at parties at this time, also, indicated a person’s position or social status.

Some of the guests were not satisfied where they were seated. They wanted a spotlight seat and moved up at the table. I think there was some humor in Jesus’ suggestion about taking a less prestigious position so that the host could invite the persons in the lower position to move higher. Jesus was not talking about throwing a party or a dinner, but about everyone being aware of doing good deeds for everyone. It is not our being noticed, but rather our willingness to notice others. Humility, flexibility and trying to act in faith is a challenge of these readings. Jesus wants our faith to be our steering wheel, not our spare tire.

As a nation we celebrate Labor Day on Monday. We thank our brothers and sisters for their work, careers, vocations that assist us in our daily life. In particular, we want to pray today for those who quietly and unassumingly do so many tasks.

It is a day to thank the humble workers of fields, factories, department stores, hospitals and other place who daily do work with persistence, patience and love and are seldom recognized. Jesus wants us to be aware that no task lacks value or esteem.

Our first reading from the Book of Sirach lets us know that even the greatest of humans must acknowledge human limitations and be open to allow God to act. The other two readings challenge us to be people of humble trust, to see the good deeds of others and to do good deeds for one another. This is not always easy.

There is a story of a man who was new to the area and went to church one Sunday. He parked his car and was immediately corrected by a woman who told him, “This is where I park. I come here each week, please move your car.” And he did so.

He then walked quietly into church and sat down. Soon a man came up to him and said, “Would you please move, my family and I sit in this pew each week.”

At the Kiss of Peace, he turned to shake hands with those about him.

The woman next to him stated, “We only nod our heads and say peace so as not to pass on germs.”

At the time of Communion, the man disappeared from the pew and suddenly appeared at the Altar, replaced the priest and appeared as Jesus himself.

He then said, “Peace and love to all. I regret that I put any of you out of your way, but that is what faith is about, going out of your way for one another.” And with that he disappeared.