Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
August 28, 2016
Gospel: Lk 14:1, 7-14
On a sabbath (1) 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 (2) 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
(3) 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
(4) 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 (5),
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.”
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(1)In the Jewish religion, the sabbath is the seventh day of the week
It is a day of rest in honor of the Lord.The sabbath is Saturday. Sunday is our
day in honor of the Lord Jesus who rose from the dead.
(2)A parable is a story that teaches a
lesson.
(3)A more distinguished person is someone who is more
important or popular.
(4) To have someone’s esteem means
that they really like you and are impressed with you. It means honor and
respect.
(5) The lame are people who are very
weak or unable to walk.
This week’s spotlight
Humility
Humility is the virtue that helps us accept the truth
about ourselves. The truth is that we are human beings who need help, and need
love. No one has the right to look down on others. Each one of us is God’s
“favorite one." Each of us has special gifts and talents from God. It’s easy,
however; to want to be better than others and look down on them, Jesus is the
best example of humility because he loved everyone, even the sinners and
outcasts. The truly humble person rejoices in respecting others. Humility helps
us to see Jesus in each other - and in ourselves!
The priest washes his hands
At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist,
after the preparation of the bread and wine for consecration, the priest washes
and dries his hands while reciting the beginning of a psalm: “Lord, wash away
my iniquity; cleanse me from my sin.” This is a symbolic gesture. It is a
symbol of purification. The priest is asking God to make him worthy of
presenting the great offering of the body of Christ. This gesture is called the
lavabo, from a Latin word meaning “I shall wash."
Reflection
You are the favorite!
Is it wrong to want to be first? That’s
what Jesus seems to say in this Sunday’s Gospel. But what is Jesus really
talking about? He’s not talking about getting good grades at school! He’s talking
about sharing a meal, and this is a symbol for sharing life with God in heaven.
And there, to be sure, none of us can decide for ourselves that we can be the
first, or the favorite, or the one best loved by God. Who would dare to say to
God: “I have done everything necessary, and I deserve the first place.” Life
with God is not a right that we demand; it is a gift, that we receive from God
himself. It's God who says to us: “My friend, move up, come closer to me.” The
good news is that God invites each one of us to come close to him. The great
mystery of God’s love is that each one of us is first; each one of us is his
favorite. All you have to do is accept his invitation!
Discussion questions
1.What story does Jesus tell?
2.In the story, what seat is it best to take?
3.What point does the story make about being prideful?
4.What will happen to those who humble themselves?
5.How does Jesus teach his followers to care for the poor and outcast?
After
receiving Holy Communion, you
can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Though I
am not worthy, your Son has invited me to the banquet of heaven. Give me a
humble heart like his, and help me to love others as you love them.
This week…
We are God's favorites!
Put the names of your friends and family members into a small basket.
Before saying your morning prayers each day, pick a name from the basket. Treat
that person with honor throughout that whole day.
Answer God's invitation
When you say your evening prayers, thank God for your “favorite one of
the day” - the person whose name you drew from the basket and tried to treat
especially nicely that day.
Word search
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm