August 31, 2025 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Welcome Father Eckhard Today’s Readings: Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 | Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a | Lk 14:1, 7-14

Gospel Notes

Once again in Luke’s gospel a meal forms the backdrop to some important teaching of Jesus about the values of the kingdom of God. In ordinary society the normal practice is to be self promoting, always seeking to be one step ahead or to find ways to have one’s reputation enhanced. Jesus sees this as evidence of shallow behaviour, guided by a mistaken notion of a person’s true worth. The value of humility as taught by Jesus is that our understanding of our worth is not dependant on being better than or more important than somebody else. It is not about comparison at all. Our true sense of self worth comes from within. Hence the significance of Jesus’ command to the man who had invited him to the meal. The next time he has a dinner, instead of using it as an occasion to further himself, why doesn’t he invite all those people who can’t repay him? No doubt that suggestion ensured that Jesus was not invited back, but it gently exposes the often shallow ways in which people deal with each other.

Reflection

Humility is a virtue not much spoken about today. This is the era in which self esteem is promoted, sometimes to the detriment of all other aspects of a person’s development. Of course there is no conflict between true self esteem and the value of humility as taught by Jesus. The problem may be that nowadays humility might be seen as weakness, the humble person might be regarded as a pushover. That would be a mistake and we only have to look to Jesus to see how big a mistake. The philosophy that might is right is capable of unleashing dreadful violence and of inflicting untold damage on human society. It represents the opposite worldview to that preached by Jesus and brings about no real change. However, to live as gently and humbly as Jesus did is to commit oneself to a better world, armed only with a deep conviction that God is love.

Source: Sean Goan - Let the Reader Understand Image: Andrey Mironov - Parable of the Wedding Feast