A homily on Luke 14:1,7-14 :  Observing Before Acting (31-8-25)

 A homily on Luke 14:1,7-14 showing how Jesus and St. Joseph teach us to observe in silence before speaking or acting with apt stories. (31-8-25)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

One evening, the father came home from work and was tired. And he saw his son sitting quietly in a corner with his head bent down. Without looking carefully, the father shouted, “Why are you sitting so lazily like this? Go and do your homework!” The little boy slowly lifted his head with tears in his eyes and whispered, “Papa, I was trying to fix my broken slate and I did not want to disturb you.” Only then the father noticed the broken slate and the scratches on his son’s hands. His heart sank. He had responded and reacted too fast. If he had observed for a moment, he would have seen his child’s pain. Instead, his quick unthoughtful reaction hurt the boy much more.

This is exactly where today’s Gospel speaks to us (Luke 14:1,7-14). Before Jesus spoke, He first observed how the people were choosing the places of honour at table. Jesus noticed what nobody else cared to notice. Because He observed, His words of wisdom came from His deep attentiveness. We often speak too quickly, judge too fast, act in haste—without analysing and understanding the reality. The absence of observation is indeed the curse of our times.

God himself shows us the way. When His people were suffering in Egypt, He said, “I have seen the misery of my people; I have heard their cry” (Ex 3:7). God observed first, and then He acted. In the temple, Jesus spotted the poor widow putting her two coins into the treasury, and He honoured her above all others. At the multiplication of loaves, He observed the hungry crowd and then performed the miracle of bread. He observed Zacchaeus up on the sycamore tree, longing for a look at Him—and that observation led to the salvation of a household.

St. Joseph is one of the best examples of this silent art of observation. When he discovered that Mary was with child, he did not rush into judgment. He did not let anger or shame lead him into hasty action. He remained silent, he observed, and in that silence God spoke to him in a dream. And so Joseph’s act became a protection and blessing for the Holy Family. If Joseph had spoken or acted too quickly, he might have lost the treasures God had entrusted to him. His greatness was not in many words, but in quiet observation that opened space for God’s plan.

This is where we often fail today. We look, but we do not really see. We rush to speak, to correct, to argue. In families, parents sometimes fail to notice the unspoken pain of their children. Children often miss the hidden sacrifices of their parents. In religious life, we can live under one roof and yet fail to see the silent struggles of our brothers and sisters. Without observation, words act like stones that wound instead of building.

A heart-touching example: once, a teacher noticed a boy always sitting quietly, never playing with the others. Many  have thought he was shy. But she discerned carefully and realized he often came to school hungry. By watching and listening silently, she found his family was struggling. Her observation changed his life—she arranged meals for him, and soon the boy blossomed with joy. One moment of careful observation and attention opened the door to love. My dear friends, how true this is for all of us—in families, in communities, in parishes. Observation is love in action. When we observe, we notice the lonely person who hides their pain behind a smile, the elderly who long for a visit, the child who is silently crying for attention, the poor who feel invisible.

Think also of the kingfisher sitting quietly on a twig above the river. It waits still, watching. To a passer-by it may look idle, but its eyes are sharp. At the right moment it dives and catches its fish. One moment of careful observation feeds it for the day. In the same way, when we observe with patience like Jesus and St. Joseph, our words and actions will be constructive, not destructive.

The saints understood this. Saint Benedict loved silence because it opened the eyes of the heart. Saint Francis observed the leper and found Christ in him. They did not rush to speech. They watched, and then they acted with compassion. Why an interval between word and deed? It gives me time to think. It is a reflective moment where I can pause and transform my human ways to a divine ways. It clears my human lens and adjust it with a divine lens so that I can see how Jesus sees..

So let us ask ourselves today: Do I observe before I speak? Do I see the hidden needs of my family, my community, my neighbour? Do I allow God to speak in silence before I act? Jesus and St. Joseph show us that true love grows in the eyes that observe before the lips that speak. Let us alarm ourselves as the quote says “Think twice before you speak once”…Observe keen before you respond once…

 Lord, give me the grace of keen observation and proactiveness. Amen.

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