Sunday Liturgy, August 31, 2025

Texts taken from the lectionary “On Your Word” July-August 2025

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) – 2nd optional week.

First Reading

From the Book of Sirach (Sir 3:19-21, 30-31 (NV))

My son, perform your works with gentleness, and you will be loved more than a generous man. The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself, and you will find favor before the Lord. Many are the proud and arrogant, but he reveals his secrets to the meek. For great is the power of the Lord, and by the humble he is glorified. There is no remedy for the miserable condition of the proud, because the plant of evil is rooted in him. A wise heart meditates on proverbs, and an attentive ear is what the wise desire.

The word of God.

Commentary on the First Reading

The message of Sirach is truly rich in great wisdom for living, as well as in spiritual anointing. Who is the truly successful person in life? Although it may seem otherwise, it is certainly not the one who overpowers and imposes himself on others through the force of pride. According to the sacred text, the truly successful person is the humble one. Indeed, he shows such strength of character that he wins others over through gentleness and meekness. Besides, didn't Jesus do the same? He presented himself as “gentle and humble of heart” and won his disciples over through the steadfast, disarmed strength of his love. He does the same with you: the Lord prefers to draw you to himself with bonds of love rather than force you into a relationship with him that would be artificial and would not change you inwardly at all. 

Second Reading

From the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a)

Brothers and sisters, you have not approached something tangible, nor a blazing fire, nor darkness, gloom, and storm, nor the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words. Those who heard it begged God not to speak to them again. Instead, you have approached Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and thousands of angels, a festive gathering and the assembly of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven, God the judge of all, the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and Jesus, mediator of the new covenant.

The word of God.

Commentary on the Second Reading

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews has in mind God’s manifestations in the Old Testament, in which he reveals himself through a series of terrifying upheavals of the natural elements. But with the coming of Jesus himself, all this is no longer necessary: thanks to him, we no longer have to fear God, nor fear that looking upon him face to face might cause us to die. In Jesus, he has drawn near to each of us: for this reason, we have become fellow citizens with the saints and the angels. Our homeland is heaven, and we have become so familiar with God that we share deep friendship and communion with Jesus, the Father’s only-begotten Son. For us, this is not so much a reason for pride as a responsibility to live out each day with care and gratitude.

Gospel

From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 14:1, 7-14)

One Sabbath, Jesus went to the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat a meal, and they were watching him. He told the guests a parable, noticing how they chose the places of honor: «When you are invited to a wedding banquet by someone, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you has been invited, and the one who invited both of you comes and says to you: “Give your place to him!”. Then, in shame, you will have to take the lowest place. Instead, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he may say to you: “Friend, move up higher!”. Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted». Then he said to the one who had invited him: «When you offer a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, lest they in turn invite you and you have your recompense. On the contrary, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; and you will be blessed because they have nothing with which to repay you. Indeed, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous». 

The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel

Unfortunately, each of us is deeply accustomed to treating with deference and respect especially those from whom we hope to receive something in return. This often happens in many church settings as well. But what Jesus asks us to do goes in the opposite direction: he tells us to give to those who surely have nothing with which to repay us. In that case, we put ourselves in a position to be rewarded directly by him. Hence also the need and joy of choosing the lowest places: only in this way can we be certain of attracting God’s attention and goodwill. For that place was first taken by him through his incarnation. Therefore, when we agree to act like Christ, he fills us with his peace and gives us true freedom. Only in this way can we truly be his messengers and witnesses.