“Invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, the unwanted; blessed will you be because of their inability to repay you.”

A wealthy parishioner noted to his pastor that Jesus dined with the rich and famous of his day. He asked, “Do you think Jesus would belong to an exclusive country club if he were here today?” The pastor answered, “I suspect he might, if he could afford it. But his guest would include people who could not afford it, people who need a bath and a new set of clothes, people who have not recently had a decent meal, people who are lame, who limp, or feel their way with a white cane.” The pastor then said to his parishioner, “You belong to a very exclusive country club. Have you ever brought such guest to your club?” The man said nothing. He had many possessions. The pastor added, “When we leave Mass and go into God’s world we are supposed to be Jesus present in that world. So, when we are at our exclusive country club, or any other group, Jesus is a member. We might want to start reviewing our guest list.”