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Saturday, August 31, 2013

September 1, 2013



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Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 126

Reading 1SIR 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.
Everyone loves a humble person.  
What is too sublime for you, seek not,
into things beyond your strength search not.
There are things which God alone knows.
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.
Give alms and all shall be made clean for you:
Luke 11:41But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

Responsorial PsalmPS 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.
God has made a home for the poor, but these are the humble poor who know that they need God.  There are arrogant poor who want to force others to do for them and to give to them.  But the humble poor, like the humble rich, God loves.

Reading 2HEB 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.
This is a description of the Old Testament.  When the Jews were brought together in the desert, they could not approach the mountain where God thundered and spoke.  Only Moses (and Joshua) could approach.  Anyone else would die.
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.
But we who are baptized now live upon that very mountain, with God and the Saints.  Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem are all images of the Catholic Church.  

GospelLK 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.
Jesus went to the home of one of the leaders of Israel.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
He told them a parable about humility when he saw how people were choosing their place at 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.
When invited somewhere, don't be proud and don't expect to be honored.  Otherwise, you may be embarrassed.
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.’
But rather, be humble and the host may come to you and say, "Come closer."
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
Then you will receive honor as the other guests see you being honored by the host.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
For God does not love the proud, but loves the humble and will exalt them.
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.”
Then Jesus said to the host, "When you hold a party, don't invite those who can repay you.  But instead invite those who can't repay you.  And God Himself will repay your kindness, in the life to come." 

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