Our Sunday Reflection, Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
"...Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells guests at a feast to accept their invitations with humility, to be satisfied with the lowest place at the table. We are guests at a feast today, invited by our Lord to this wonderful Eucharistic meal. We come with humility, acknowledging our imperfections and sinfulness. Jesus also tells the host to invite those who are not well-off, who cannot repay him in kind. Our host today at this feast is Jesus, who offers his very Body and Blood for our redemption. There is no way we can truly repay him for his generosity and mercy. Let us give thanks for his constant invitation.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
Sirach used aphorisms like Jesus used parables: to teach his audience how to put God’s commands into action. Today we hear both Sirach and Jesus counsel us to act with humility. Sirach tells us we will find favor with God; Jesus imagines a wedding banquet where the host invites the person who took the lowest seat to move up to a higher position. With true humility, for we are all sinners, let us listen today to the word of God.
Reflections
• First, Jesus speaks to the guests, giving them a lesson on humility. Humility is the opposite of pride. When we allow our pride to take over, we are dishonest. We lie about ourselves by flattering ourselves, making ourselves seem better or smarter or more deserving than we really are. When we approach others with humility, we are being honest. We are grounded in reality. (“Humility” comes from the Latin humus, which means “ground.”) We acknowledge that we are sinful, that we are imperfect, that we fall far from the ideal. Certainly, it is better to avoid the embarrassment of being taken down a rung or two in front of our peers. But it also feels better to not have to pretend to be greater than we are. Humility allows us to accept our true selves.
• Next, Jesus speaks to the host. By inviting only those who were already in his social circle, he expected he would soon be able to take advantage of theirgenerosity. Jesus called the host to instead invite those who would find it impos- sible to repay you. This is true generosity. In his story of the Last Judgment, the host welcomes those who gave food to the hungry and drink to thirsty, telling them that what they do for the needy they do for him. Generosity given to those who cannot repay you is generosity given to Christ. This is how the host of the kingdom of God invites people to the ultimate feast.
• God’s kingdom operates in a reversal of the values the world teaches us. Recall that last week we heard Jesus tell the crowds that some are last who would be first and vice versa. Today we see how that works at a wedding banquet, an event he often used to portray the kingdom. In today’s Gospel, not even the outcasts of society are excluded from the wedding banquet. God’s kingdom is inclusive. Everyone is invited to the great feast.
Question of the Week
Whom can I welcome into my life who is unlikely to be able to repay me and how can I do so?
-from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
LISTEN HEREto the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, August 28th, 2022, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
SELECT HEREfor the Readings of Sunday, August 28th, 2022, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Offerings
The Sunday offerings are a portion of our blessings that we give to God (Church) in gratitude to what God has done for us...ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS
"Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you."
One of the main principles of living a stewardship lifestyle is to give without expecting anything in return. This is difficult for some to comprehend in our “consumerist” culture that we live in. This is even difficult for many parish communities that have become heavily dependent on parish fundraising events to support the mission and ministry of their local parish. Generally speaking, at a parish fundraiser, you pay money and receive something in return, it’s just a financial transaction. This is opposed to your offertory at Holy Mass, where you unite your sacrifice with Jesus’, renewing your covenant relationship with Him.
