Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Also Read: Mass Readings for 31 August 2025
First Reading: Sirach 3: 17-18, 20, 28-29
My child, perform your tasks with humility; then you will be loved by those whom God accepts. The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favour in the sight of the Lord. (17-18)
The book of Sirach is said to have been written by a father as a set of instructions for his son. Keeping that in mind, we can see how important these verses truly are! We could also imagine God our Father addressing these words to us, today! These are self-explanatory words, and we find so much wisdom in the simple text! Our God being humble, took the form of a human being; – (the Creator himself becoming the created), – we won’t be able to fathom the immense humility shown by GOD! Therefore, let us resolve to stay humble in our thoughts, words, and actions!
Let us turn to His mother Mary, to guide us on this humble road!
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 68: 4-7, 10-11
Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land. (5-6)
When the Lord God instructs us, let us not be rebellious but learn! Alleluia, Amen!
Second Reading: Hebrews 12: 18-19, 22-24
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (22-24)
When we participate in the Holy Eucharistic celebration, we are provided an opportunity to experience a slice of heaven as described here. When we listen to the Word of God, we are invited to be drawn into the instructions by our heavenly father. When we partake of the holy sacrifice at Mass, we unite with Christ Jesus in his suffering as we offer our issues to him! The sprinkled blood of Jesus speaks a better word than any of the books or encyclopedias ever written in the history of the world!
Therefore, at Holy Mass, let us LISTEN with our HEARTS! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Alleluia: Matthew 11: 29ab
Alleluia, Alleluia! Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 14: 1, 7-14
“For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (11)
“And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (14)
Jesus’ instructions here seem to be counter-intuitive to our present world! We live in a world where we see people taking selfies of themselves, sharing a meal with a needy person or any random “acts of kindness” they may “perform”! Their actions reek of a “performance” for sure, as they parade their “good works” for the world to see and applaud! Jesus encountered similar as he described in Mt. 23:4-7! The Lord warns us about ‘Pride’, the deadliest and root of all sins. Our thoughts sprout the pride we suffer from, and therefore we fall into temptations.
We ask the Lord to teach us to be humble in our thoughts, words, and actions! “Who will set whips over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over my mind, so as not to spare me in my errors, and not overlook my sins?” (Sirach 23:2) We ask the Lord to help us discern the occasions of pride so that we may remain alert in humility. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
