Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 129

Reading 1

Wisdom 9:13-18b

 Who can know God’s counsel,
 or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
 For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
 and unsure are our plans.
 For the corruptible body burdens the soul
 and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
 And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
 and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
 but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
 Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
 and sent your holy spirit from on high?
 And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
 are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
 the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
 but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
 that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
 that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
 prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Reading 2

Philemon 9-10, 12-17

I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

Alleluia

Psalm 119:135

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
and teach me your laws.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

We should always be on the lookout for pride and arrogance in our lives. Pride, which is one of the Seven Cardinal Sins, is a gateway to all other sins. It causes us to put our will, wants, and desires above God’s, thus orientating our actions and speech to the pursuit of earthly things instead of that which has its origins with God. If God is who we proclaim Him to be, then it is necessary to put Him first in our lives. This means that our decision-making process must always include what God wants us to do above what we want to do. Aligning our thoughts with God’s desires will always lead to a positive outcome. The Book of Wisdom reminds us that God’s wisdom is beyond our understanding. In comparison, the wisdom of this world, including all our own thoughts, is defective and falls short of any type of perfection. Relying solely on the wisdom of others and our thoughts will lead to a conclusion that contains some sort of defect within it. Nobody is perfect, thus what comes from human origin will not be perfect as a result. Dismissing that which is perfect then becomes illogical and immediately puts one in danger if the choice is to ignore that which comes from God. Furthermore, choosing to not include God in our lives means that one has chosen a path which has no eternal end, but one instead that will come to an end that is corporal in nature. As it is written in the Book of Ecclesiastes:

 

“ For what profit comes to mortals from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which they toil under the sun? Everyday sorrow and grief are their occupation; even at night their hearts are not at rest. This is also vanity.”

 

In the end these things all have the same end. God starts with the perfect and ends with the perfect. When we adjoin ourselves with the perfect, then our pursuits can find themselves in good company. Thinking that we can do things alone without God is foolhardy at best when there is already an understanding that the result will always be corrupted.

 

Choosing the Christian Way of life does have its challenges and this should be acknowledged if we are to prepare ourselves properly for what is to come. We will face difficulties and hard choices that those who do not follow Jesus Christ can easily avoid. The easy path, at first, may appear to be one that does not include a relationship with Jesus Christ. It takes time and commitment with the benefits sometimes not becoming apparent for a long time. Yet, Jesus is always here to help us along the way and, like a job well after a hard day’s work, the results will speak for themselves. We have all been known to make material sacrifices to obtain material rewards like investments in time and money, or for a promise of some sort of greater benefit in the future. In other words, it is very commonplace to invest in one’s future to gain some sort of material reward. Why then cannot we do the same for a spiritual reward? Jesus is very explicit about what type of investments and sacrifices we are expected to make if we are to follow Him. Nothing else can come first. This includes our most cherished relationships and possessions. All are expected to be placed second in comparison to Him. He places a challenge before all of us who proclaim Him as the Son of God: “Can we truly follow Him at the expense of all our relationships and material things? Can we place Him first in our lives above those people and things that we love the most?”

 

It we cannot answer the question now or are not ready to make the commitment He demands, we must then prepare ourselves and not just ignore it. Constant improvement is the key. Transforming ourselves every day with a commitment to do better is necessary. This is where a true examination of conscious and a committed prayer life can lead us. The story of Jacob’s brother Esau selling his birthright to Jacob so he could eat presents us with the same dilemma: “ Are we prepared to forgo the challenges and hardships of being a follower of Jesus Christ in exchange for material satisfaction and contentment in the present, knowing that beyond this world is something better and eternal in nature?” These temporary entrapments and allures of the flesh must be rejected in favor of the greater, which is only obtained through Jesus Christ. This takes hard work and dedication. It will also put us at odds with the expectations of society. In Paul’s Letter to Philemon, Paul was sending an escaped slave back to his master, who had recently become a Christian. Paul instructed Philemon to show mercy and love to the slave, treating him as if he would treat Paul himself. This put both the slave and Philemon in a very difficult position: The slave, as a Christian, was expected to obey Paul and return while Philemon was expected to forgive him, show love, and possibly also free him voluntarily. This put both individuals’ faith to the ultimate test. The slave could have just left, and Philemon could have easily just hunted down the slave and punished him or ignored Paul’s exhortations. There were challenges placed on both of their faiths, and they were both faced with decisions that could have easily been avoided if it were not for them putting God first.  

 

As followers of Jesus Christ, we cannot expect things to be easy or joyous all the time. There will be challenges and difficulties that pertain to our faith and things that arise that are separate from our faith-life. All these things should be approached with Jesus Christ constantly in our hearts, soul, mind, and body. As Jesus said, that is the greatest commandment, so it would behoove us to follow it. When we do, things will eventually fall into place, for we will no longer be struggling against God and His will. We can do His will and be benefactors of His love and mercy. With that, pride and arrogance will be replaced by humility and love.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 126

Reading 1

Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

My child, conduct your affairs with humility,
 and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
 Humble yourself the more, the greater you are,
 and you will find favor with God.
 What is too sublime for you, seek not,
 into things beyond your strength search not.
 The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs,
 and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise.
 Water quenches a flaming fire,
 and alms atone for sins.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11

R. (cf. 11b)  God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
The just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;
you restored the land when it languished;
your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

Reading 2

Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a

Brothers and sisters:
You have not approached that which could be touched
and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness
and storm and a trumpet blast
and a voice speaking words such that those who heard
begged that no message be further addressed to them.
No, you have approached Mount Zion
and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and countless angels in festal gathering,
and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,
and God the judge of all,
and the spirits of the just made perfect,
and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

Alleluia

Matthew 11:29ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,
and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 14:1, 7-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
'Give your place to this man,'
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
'My friend, move up to a higher position.'
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Then he said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
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."

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

It is better to be humble than to be humiliated. Pride is the gateway to all other sin, for sin can be defined as a, “turning away from God,” and the act of turning away indicates that one has put their will before that of God’s. Doing so reveals a presence of pride. If God is all knowing and all powerful, then those of us choosing to sin are in more danger than we realize. If anything in our lives is done without first contemplating God’s reaction, we are at risk of causing great harm to ourselves and those people whom we interact with. Putting God first is key to a richer experience and a life with less burden. Humbling ourselves means we are voluntarily lowering our stature in the eyes of others. To do so means acting and speaking as if one was in lower esteem and importance than they are. There is a lack of ego and self-importance. When we do this, we are more apt to make decisions rightly and not act in an ill-begotten manner. There is also a lesser chance of sinning and disappointing God, for we see more clearly what He wants from us and can more readily be at service to Him. In comparison, humiliation is brought upon my having one’s status involuntarily lowered. In other words, one’s actions and speech lead oneself into a bad situation. Self-will and self-idealization play a central role in this outcome, where all calamities brought down on an individual is a creation of oneself, one’s actions, and one’s speech.

 

In the First Reading today, we are taught that humility is the key to love. It is through humility that we can forgive and not judge. We can also have empathy for other people whose situation might be worse off than ours. Individuals in need are the ones who God wants us to be in service to and help. Doing so puts our faith into action, and we are able to do the works of Jesus Christ. We are called to help the suffering and to experience our own suffering in the process, for Jesus suffered for us. This is part of the Christ Experience. We cannot fully encounter Jesus unless we too suffer. To suffer properly there can be no defiance and no rebuke against it. This indicates the presence of pride and the feeling that our suffering is undeserved. Acceptance is key. Acceptance opens the door to humility and an understanding that all have the potential to suffer and no one is exempt. It should be welcomed and celebrated. The feeling of exemption and unfairness leads to the inflation of one’s social status or state in comparison to another. Being humble prepares us for any impending suffering to a point of almost expecting it.

 

There is a natural inclination in society to seek recognition and honor. To be seen is to be recognized. To be recognized indicates some sort of importance. The statement, “Do you know who I am?” rings true in many circumstances. This leads to a feeling of greatness and a self-inflated stature, something that God wants us to avoid. Never has anything been the opposite of the example of Jesus Christ than this. The Incarnation, the Word becoming flesh, holds the key. In Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, he addresses this point:

 

“ Who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness, and found human appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

 

This was the example Jesus Christ set for us to follow. Anything contradictory to that is unacceptable in the eyes of God. There is no room for misconstruing what is being said. Saint Paul accepted torture, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and complete failure in the name of Jesus Christ. To follow Jesus, we must experience things of that nature in order to rise above them through the presence of Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus Christ tells us that this will happen. Choosing the lesser seat at table, the one that holds no honor, or prestige will give God the opportunity to raise us up in His name. There is no reason for us to do the raising, for if we do, we have built our foundation on sand. Building our own foundation means it is already flawed because we are flawed. Faith and trust in God guarantee a strong foundation, if we choose to build on it.

 

A very powerful and short prayer is the Jesus Prayer,

 

 "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner".

 

It is simple and effective. It was designed specifically for that purpose. It recognizes who Jesus is while, at the same time, allows us to humble ourselves by admitting to Him that we are nothing more than sinners in His eyes. We are no more important than anyone else and are undeserving in all respects to whatever He chooses to give us. The definition of mercy is, “ compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” It is undeserved. There are no preconditions for giving or showing mercy. Jesus’ Divine Mercy continuously pours out onto the world and throughout God’s creation. To receive it, takes being humble. Not being humble indicates a presence of pride. Pride is a sin and means that we are unable to receive that mercy since we have turned away from it. We have refused it by not recognizing it, nor the source which it came from. When we give mercy, we receive mercy because we are in a condition to recognize it, ask for it, and receive it.

 

King David proclaimed in Psalm 25,

 

“Remember your compassion and your mercy, O Lord,

for they are ages old.

Remember no more the sins of my youth,

remember me according to your mercy,

because of your goodness, Lord.”

 

A king and prophet before his God, He lowered himself before God and begged for something he did not deserve. This put him in the position to be given what was asked for. Us doing the same thing in our lives, enables us to receive all the benefits of a right relationship with God. A right relationship leads to a journey through the suffering to the joys that are always present at the end of it. All this made possible through acts of humility and a rejection of pride. It sets up for success through God instead of failure through our own thoughts in actions.

 

Deacon Tom