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Message from the desk of the Pastor:

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sunday, August 31, 2025

Gospel Reading 

Luke 14:1, 7-14

When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

Background on the Gospel Reading

Meals played an important role in the society in which Jesus lived. More than a      time for sharing nourishment, they were a time to share ideas and to model    different aspects of social relationships. In Luke's Gospel, the places that a        person ate (at the home of a tax collector, 5:29), the people with whom a person      ate (sinners, 5:30), whether a person washed before eating (11:38), and, as is the case here, the place that a person sits while eating are all important. The narrator says Jesus tells a parable, but it is really wise advice to both guests and hosts    about finding true happiness at the heavenly banquet.

Jesus warns guests to wait before taking their places at the table lest they be      asked to move if someone more important arrives. This is more than just a lesson about dinner etiquette. It is advice on how to find your true place in the Kingdom        of God. Jesus advises hosts not to invite people who would be expected to repay them to dinner but to invite those who could not repay: the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This is where real blessings can be found.

In these sayings, Luke gives us not only advice on how to approach the end times    but also on how to live according to Jesus' vision of a good society. Luke's Gospel also advises us how the Church must be part of bringing about this society. It is yet another example in Luke's Gospel of the reversal the kingdom brings about.

Family Connection

Parents and children often enter into “negotiations” over how much allowance is        to be earned at certain ages. Typically, when a child seeks an increase in allowance, parents will attach an increase in chores and responsibilities for them to better earn the increase. Talk about what kind of allowance you received as a child and what  kind of responsibilities your parents expected of you to earn your allowance.

Explain that in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus talks about doing good deeds for others and expecting nothing in return. Read aloud Luke 14:1,7-14. Ask your children how they would feel if you told them to take on more chores without ever expecting another raise in allowance. Emphasize that Jesus teaches us that it is our duty as    his followers to take care of the needs of others and to do so without expecting repayment. Discuss what other types of rewards we can find when doing good    things for others.

Point out that we sometimes fall into the trap of wanting too many things and that,    in the Our Father, we pray for “our daily bread,” meaning that we pray for only that which we really need in life. Conclude this time together by praying aloud the Our Father.