WE NEED TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS

 Readings for Sunday, August 28 2022

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 126

It-Tnejn u Għoxrin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

 

Reading 1               SIRAK 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.


Qari 1                mill-Ktieb ta’ Bin Sirak  3:17-20,28-29

Ibni, kun ġwejjed fix-xogħol li tagħmel, u tkun maħbub iktar minn wieħed milqugħ min-nies. Akbar m’int, iktar għandek iċċekken ruħek, u ssib grazzja quddiem il-Mulej. Ħafna huma l-imkabbrin u l-imsebbħin, imma l-Mulej jikxef lill-umli l-misteri tiegħu. Għax kbira hi s-setgħa tal-Mulej, imma hu msebbaħ min-nies umli. M’hemmx duwa għall-bniedem kollu kburija, għax din ħaxixa ħażina b’għeruqha mxenxla fih. Min għandu l-għerf jifhem il-proverbji u l-għaref ħerqan li jkollu min jisimgħu.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.      

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

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.

Salm Responsorjali               Salm 67(68):4-5aċ,6-7ab,10-11

R/. O Alla, int ħejjejt dar għall-fqajjar.

Il-ġusti jithennew quddiem Alla,
jifirħu u jaqbżu bil-ferħ.
Għannu lil Alla, faħħru ismu.
Tgħaxxqu fil-Mulej, aqbżu bil-ferħ quddiemu. R/.

Missier l-iltiema u difensur tar-romol,
hekk hu Alla fl-għamara mqaddsa tiegħu.
Alla jagħti d-dar lil dawk li huma weħidhom,
u lill-ħabsin bir-riżq joħroġhom. R/.

Xita bil-kotra inti bgħatt, o Alla, fuq l-art, wirt tiegħek,
u meta kienet bil-għatx inti ħjejtha.
Il-poplu tiegħek għammar fiha,
fi tjubitek, o Alla, għall-fqajjar ħejjejtha. R/.

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.

Qari 2                  mill-Ittra lil-Lhud 12:18-19,22-24a

Ħuti, intom ma rsaqtux lejn in-nar materjali u jħeġġeġ tas-Sinaj; lejn dak is-swied u d-dlam u r-riefnu; lejn dak id-daqq ta’ tromba u ħoss ta’ kliem li dawk li kienu jisimgħuh talbu bil-ħerqa biex ma jkellimhomx aktar.  Imma intom ersaqtu lejn il-muntanja ta’ Sijon u lejn il-belt ta’ Alla l-ħaj, li hi Ġerusalemm tas-sema; ersaqtu lejn eluf ta’ anġli f’ġemgħa ferrieħa; lejn il-ġemgħa tal-ulied ewlenin li isimhom hu miktub fis-sema; lejn Alla l-imħallef ta’ kulħadd; lejn l-erwieħ ta’ nies tajba u perfetti; lejn Ġesù l-medjatur ta’ patt ġdid. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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."

Evanġelju               Qari skont San Luqa 14:1,7-14

Darba, kien is-Sibt, Ġesù daħal għand wieħed mill-kapijiet tal-Fariżej biex jiekol għandu, u huma qagħdu għajnejhom fih. Billi ra b’għajnejh kif il-mistednin bdew jagħżlu l-postijiet ta’ quddiem fil-mejda, qalilhom din il-parabbola: “Meta wieħed jistiednek għal xi festa ta’ tieġ, tmurx toqgħod fil-post ta’ quddiem, li ma jkunx hemm xi mistieden aqwa minnek, u dak li jkun stieden lilek u lilu jiġi fuqek jgħidlek: ‘Agħti l-post lil dan’, u int imbagħad, b’regħxa ta’ mistħija fuqek, ikollok tieħu l-post tal-aħħar. Għall-kuntrarju, meta tkun mistieden, mur inxteħet fil-post tal-aħħar, biex meta jiġi dak li stiednek jgħidlek: ‘Ħabib, itla’ f’post aktar ’il fuq’. U dan ikun ta’ ġieħ għalik quddiem dawk kollha li jkunu fil-mejda miegħek. Għax kull min jitkabbar, jiċċekken; u min jiċċekken, jitkabbar”.  Imbagħad qal ukoll lil dak li kien stiednu: “Meta tagħti ikla jew pranzu, tistedinx lil ħbiebek jew lil ħutek jew lil qrabatek, u anqas ġirien għonja, għax għandhom mnejn imbagħad jistiednu lilek huma, u hekk iroddulek il-pjaċir li tkun għamiltilhom. Għall-kuntrarju, meta tagħmel ikla, stieden il-foqra, il-magħtubin, iz-zopop u l-għomja, u hieni int, għax dawn ma għandhomx minn fejn iroddulek pjaċir bi pjaċir, imma jroddhulek Alla meta l-ġusti jqumu għall-ħajja”.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Eight-minute  Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil   

The need for true humility

Introduction:

The common theme of Sunday’s readings is the need for true humility which leads to a generous and blessed sharing with the needy. The readings also warn us against all forms of pride and self-glorification. They present humility not only as a virtue but also as a means of opening our hearts, our minds, and our hands to the poor, the needy, the disadvantaged, and the marginalized people in our society – a personal responsibility for every authentic Christian.

Sunday’s Gospel teaches us that we must act with humility and see ourselves as the servants of the community rather than those whom the community might feel honored to serve.

Scripture lessons:

The first reading, taken from the book of Sirach, reminds us that if we are humble, we will find favor with God, and others will love us. The second reading, taken from Hebrews, gives another reason for us to be humble. Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God humbled Himself, taking on human flesh and living our lives that he might die to save us. He invites his followers to learn how to live from him because he is “meek and humble of heart.

Paul reminds us that Jesus was lowly, particularly in his suffering and death for our salvation (Heb 2:5-18), so we should be like him in order to be exalted with him at the resurrection of the righteous. Paul also seems to imply that we need to follow Christ’s example of humility in our relationships with the less fortunate members of our society.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains the practical benefits of humility, connecting it with the common wisdom about dining etiquette. Jesus advises the guests to go to the lowest place instead of seeking places of honour, so that the host may give them the place they really deserve. Jesus’ words concerning the seating of guests at a wedding banquet should prompt us to honor those whom others ignore, because if we are generous and just in our dealings with those in need, we can be confident of the Lord’s blessings.

Life Message:

We need to practice humility in personal and social life: Humility is based on the psychological awareness that everything I have is a gift from God and, therefore, I have no reason to elevate myself above others. On the contrary, I must use these God-given gifts to help others.

True humility requires us neither to overestimate nor to underestimate our worth. We must admit the truths that we are sinners, that we do not know everything, and that we do not always act properly. Nevertheless, we must also recognize that we are made in the image and likeness of God, and that we are called to help build the kingdom of God with our God-given gifts.

We are of value, not because of those gifts, but because we are loved by God as His children, redeemed by the precious blood of His son Jesus. The quality of humility that Jesus is talking about also has a sociological dimension because Jesus is inviting us to associate with the so-called “lower classes” of the society — even the outcasts. Jesus invites us to change our social patterns in such a way that we connect with and serve the homeless, the handicapped, the elderly, and the impoverished — the “street people” of the world — with agápe love

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