Romans 11:1-2, 11-12, 25-29 / Luke 14:1, 7-11
One of the ways to gain experience is to make mistakes, so that we can learn from them.
It can be rather painful to make mistakes but we can be sure that we will learn and gain the experience.
Another way is to learn from the mistakes of others, and to be wise enough not to make those mistakes.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul asked this question: Have the Jews fallen for ever, or have they just stumbled in disobedience and unfaithfulness?
He goes on to say that obviously they have not fallen for ever.
Their fall, though, has saved the pagans in a way the Jews may now well emulate.
So the pagans gained by learning from the mistakes of disobedience and unfaithfulness made by God's Chosen People.
We too should learn from the mistakes of others and learn to be humble instead of being proud.
To be humble is certainly more beneficial than to be humiliated.