Saint Paul takes the ultimate gamble in this Sunday’s second reading, writing to the Philippians that in order to “gain Christ” he has “accepted the loss of all things.” President Barack Obama held meetings this week with U.S. House Republicans and Senate Democrats, gambling that for the sake of a “grand bargain” on the budget he can convince both sides to accept the loss of some of their favored programs and positions.

But the 90-minute gathering with House Republicans Wednesday—part of a series of across-the-aisle sessions some are calling the “White House charm offensive”—did little to bring the two parties together. Republicans' top priority—cutting federal spending and reining in record deficits in short order—came up early in the Republican conference meeting. Oklahoma Rep. Jim Lankford asked the first question, pressing the president to explain why he wouldn't join House Republicans in their effort to balance the budget in a decade. Obama, according to several Republicans, explained that he didn't share that priority, an answer that many emphasized as they left the meeting.

“He thought what was more important was that deficits fall below growth as a percentage of GDP—certainly a laudable goal, but I think the federal government, like any business or any family, needs to work towards a balanced budget," Rep. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, said afterward. Though unconvinced, Republicans did say the session helped build some trust and was a good opportunity to raise a wide spectrum of issues.

Obama had told Senate Democrats in a Tuesday meeting that his budget to be released in April would align closely with their priorities but that, nonetheless, Democrats need to embrace at least some changes to unsustainable entitlement programs in order to achieve their long-term priorities. The president made the case, senators attending the luncheon said, to protect entitlements for future generations—a key Democratic priority in negotiations with Republicans.

Obama's arguement that Social Security and Medicare—big drivers of federal spending—wouldn’t survive without some changes to save money seemed to be opening the door a crack toward a way forward: If the White House is seen as willing to put entitlements on the table, some Republicans may reconsider their staunch opposition to new revenue.

Obama’s blunt talk on entitlements doesn’t mean that Senate Democrats are on board. Several members in the meeting spoke up about the concerns that changes to the programs would be part of a deal, attendees said. “He said he hoped we can reach some sort of grand bargain,” said Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa. “Of course some of us responded by saying, ‘Yes, but what is in that grand bargain?’ We don’t want to start whacking away at Social Security or Medicare.”

Homily hint: Americans are frustrated by their elected officials' seeming inability to work across party lines to solve the nation’s most pressing problems. Perhaps this Sunday’s gospel, which challenges the righteous to first examine their own shortcomings before condemning another’s, offers some insights that could be applied to those who seem quick to condemn their political opponents.

Sources: Articles by Deirdre Walsh and Rachel Streitfeld for CNN and Ginger Gibson for Politico