An Opportune Time

First Reading: Philippians 1:18B-26

Brothers and sisters:
As long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth,
Christ is being proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Indeed I shall continue to rejoice,
for I know that this will result in deliverance for me
through your prayers and support from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
My eager expectation and hope
is that I shall not be put to shame in any way,
but that with all boldness, now as always,
Christ will be magnified in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
And this I know with confidence,
that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you
for your progress and joy in the faith,
so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me
when I come to you again.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 42:2, 3, 5CDEF

R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.
I went with the throng
and led them in procession to the house of God.
Amid loud cries of joy and thanksgiving,
with the multitude keeping festival.
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.

Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-11

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

NAB

I’m not a terribly patient person. I know this about myself and yet I’m not very interested in praying for patience. You know what they say, pray for patience and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to practice it. This is true in silly situations, like scouting out the shortest line at checkout, but it’s also true of my vocation. Waiting is hard; having patience while waiting is even harder.

Today’s Gospel offers an important lesson in patience. Rather than grasping for the highest place, Jesus encourages us to wait and be invited to the good thing.

Too many times, I’ve tried to make things happen on my own. The fruit of this is almost always frustration, confusion and heartache. But I’ve also felt what it’s like to be surprised by an opportunity, a compliment, or given a gift that I didn’t ask for. The difference is amazing.

There is a Greek word that captures this perfectly: kairos, meaning a propitious moment for decision or action. You see, this is how God’s timing works. He waits for an opportune time, for the perfect moment to gift us with His best. And in the meantime, in the waiting, He asks us to be patient, trusting that He is purifying and preparing us for what’s next.

In a world that encourages striving and earning, waiting on God seems counterintuitive—foolish even. When people ask you about that thing your heart desires, it stings to say, I don’t know. But take heart, dear sister. God knows our hearts and our circumstances. And He is delighted by our faith in the waiting.

Decide with me today to wait in peace and patience, believing that we will hear our sweet Jesus say, as He does in the Gospel, “My friend, move up to a higher position.”

Take heart, dear sister. God knows our hearts and our circumstances.Click to tweet

How have you been talking about your problems? Today, ask God to help you speak only positively about what troubles you and what you’re waiting for.

Beth Davis is a lover of Jesus, an aunt to five beautiful humans, and a full time youth minister in Flagstaff, Arizona. She is passionate about winning the hearts of young people for Jesus through discipleship. Find out more about her here.