Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time/C
Massimo Palombella
In today’s Gospel (Lk 14, 1. 7-14), through the parable of the wedding guests, Jesus leads us, once again, to reflect on the true motivations of our actions, and how these, if not known, encountered and educated, can play tricks on our lives. Indeed, true maturation consists in knowing and making one’s own the deep ‘drives’ that guide and direct, in truth, our decisions. Our need to be loved, to be recognised and considered, our fear of being alone, of not being good enough, our fear of being tied down… If all this is not known, encountered, accepted and loved, it fundamentally leads our lives, it insinuates itself into every choice we make, even the noblest ones, and can become what slowly crumbles our existence, ruining the most beautiful things. The true relationship with the Lord slowly leads us to “do the truth”, to become intimate with ourselves, to know, accept and love our weaknesses in order to transform them into the best of our resources, thus becoming truly capable of meeting people and loving them in truth.
The Offertory antiphon for today’s celebration is taken from Psalm 39 (Ps 39:14-15) with the following text:
Domine, in auxilium meum respice.
Confundantur et revereantur
qui quaerunt animam meam, ut auferant eam.
Domine in auxilium meum respice.
O Lord, look down in order to help me;
let them be covered
with confusion and shame,
who seek after my soul to take it away.
The attached music is by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) and comes from the book Offertoria totius anni published in Venice in 1594 (Offertoria totius anni [Venetiis, apud Angelum Gardanum 1594]). Interpretation: The Lay Vicars of Chichester Cathedral. The musical track is included in the CD “Music for Lent and Passiontide. The Lay Vicars of Chichester Cathedral” (2016).
A blessed Sunday and heartfelt greetings.
