Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Sirach 3:17–18, 20, 28–29
Hebrews 12:18–19, 22–24a
Luke 14:1, 7–14
The Gospel reading today invites us to reflect on two themes, namely humility and love and care of the marginalized. As we reflect on these two themes, we deepen our relationship with Christ who was humble and who made himself a friend of the poor and the marginalised.
St Luke tells us of Jesus going out to a house of a leader of Pharisees, that means someone who held a position of great esteem in the society. Jesus went out to have a meal in that house. The leader of the Pharisees can represent all those who have authority in the society, in the country, in the Church and in the community.
Jesus noticed that those who were invited to the meal exalted themselves and offered themselves top seats in the house and that gave him the good opportunity to teach about humility and the exhort the hearers to welcome the marginalized and treat them with respect and love them without considering their social status and their incapacity to pay back.
The First reading from Sirach captures the theme of humility and invites us to be humble. At the time Ben Sirach wrote his work, there was great influence from Greek philosophy and new learning, and many Jews were ignoring the law of God and turning to the new knowledge.
Today we have a new challenge to our faith. The advancement of technology and the emergence of artificial intelligence have created new teachers to whom people are tempted to listen more faithfully than to God.
The appetite of many people to get rich at all costs at the exclusion of the of the majority of the society is rendering the knowledge of God and the ethical way of doing business as irrelevant to the people of today. The exhortation by Ben Sirach, is an invitation to all of us, regardless of our social status, to humble ourselves in our daily conduct before God and his people. In other words, this humility should encompass the way we do our business and the way we relate to God and our brothers and sisters.
Humility can be learnt from the school of Jesus who humbled himself even up to death on the cross (Phil 2:8). The Gospel acclamation invites us to humble ourselves as we imitate and learn from our Lord Jesus Christ who said: 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 (Mat 11:29).
If we are not humble and are preoccupied by earthly power and honour, we are restless, but St Augustine of Hippo reminds us of when he said this to God: You formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You.
The second theme in today’s gospel is an invitation by Jesus to all of us to open our hearts and arms to welcome the marginalized that is to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind to the banquet. If we can consider the banquet as the economic resources of any given country, then it is imperative for those who govern to ensure that there is a fair and equitable distribution of wealth, among all citizens. Therefore, the poor should have access to education, health, accommodation, employment and opportunities that uplift their livelihoods.
Inspired by today’s Gospel, we remember how Pope Francis invited the Church to be a missionary Church. The Church which goes “forth to everyone without exception…. not so much our friends and wealthy neighbours, but above all the poor and the sick, those who are usually despised and overlooked, “those who cannot repay you” (Lk 14:14) (cf. EG 48).
Thus, if the preaching of the gospel is a banquet for all God’s children, then the mission of Jesus to bring Good News to the poor should be fulfilled by the Church (cf. Lk 4:18). The Church, by going out, brings forth light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, to those without a community of faith, supports them and gives them meaning and a goal in life (cf. EG 49).
May our mother Mary, the humble handmaid of Nazareth, teach us to humble ourselves as we conduct our business and help us to ensure that every person, rich or poor, is treated equally with dignity.