Today Jeff shares four little words a young mother said to him during Mass that completely changed his entire perspective. We all have “our spot” at church, but let’s get real about giving up our favorite seats and scooting away from our place of comfort.
SHOWNOTES
Luke 14:7-11 – “Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
1 Corinthians 10:24 – “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor”
Philippians 2:3-4 – Paul said, “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”
Matthew 22:36-40 – Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? And he said to him, “you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets”
Romans 12:10 – “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
C.S. Lewis – “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal…it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit, immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”
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I don’t have to be late to experience all the mostly empty pews being “blocked” on all the ends. We don’t have ushers to ask people to move so it’s kind of embarrassing to approach someone who just looks unwilling to move but might move a bit to let you crawl over them. I don’t think people know the anguish this causes someone who does not know a lot of people in the church. I have actually walked backwards sometimes until someone takes pity on me! If I get there earlier I always move in a ways from the end of the pew and someone always comes and joins me. Do unto others…
I have heard from the elder generation of my parish, that they get to church early to get that specific spot. I usually tell them to step out of the pew so I can get to the middle of the pew. Father has periodically asked, especially at Christmas and Easter to be considerate and move towards the center of the pew.