8-31-25 -22nd Sunday Ordinary Time

 

                                         

As I read the gospel this weekend the lines that stood out to me the strongest were those where Jesus tells his host what he should always do when he gives a dinner.  Jesus said that this host when he gives a dinner should not only invite wealthy friends, influential people, who can repay him or do something important to him.  Rather, Jesus suggests, the host invite those who are poor, person with disabilities, unwanted, people who have no power at all because, they are unable to repay him.  When he does such, he is then showing humility, since his gesture will not be necessarily noticed by the world, but it will be noticed by God.   And it will be God then who will repay such a one-"…… the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:7)                                                                                                            Reading those lines, it reminded me of my first mission trip to Haiti sponsored by our diocese many years ago. We visited many sites on that trip to see the various works of mercy being done to help the Haitian people.  These sites were often operated by people whose efforts were not necessarily noticed by the world at large.  Some were being done through the efforts of a single person where others were done by a whole agency of individuals.   One of those sites that was particularly powerful for me was an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity, St. Mother Teresa's order.  It was a building in which many acts of kindness and love were being done for the children or Haitian families.  On the day we visited we were taken to the pediatric unit.  There I saw a whole series of cribs, row upon row of infant children who either had no parents or whose parents were unable to provide sufficient food for their children. Each of the babies looked as if they had just been born, they were so small and fragile. The sister in charge explained to us that a number of children were actually two or three years old but because of serious malnutritional appeared smaller and much younger than their actual age. The suffering of these little children and what their families had to endure just to live was an overwhelming sight.  I and the others in my group were unsure of how we could do anything that day for these children. One of the sisters, noticing my confusion or perhaps hesitation about why we had been brought to this unit, had me sit down on a chair. Then she brought me one of the little children and placed the child in my arms along with a bottle of milk with a nipple on it.   She did not need to say anything further.  I held the child and put the nipple gently into the child’s mouth.  The child began to drink slowly, at first, and then with much gusto.  And while I will never see that child again, nor will she ever see me, i will never forget this precious moment.  A moment that touched that child physically and touched me spiritually.  As I remembered that encounter so many years ago, I thought of Jesus’ suggestion to his host from this weekend's gospel about showing compassion and love to those who are unable in any way to repay it.    Our gospel invites all of us to consider the ways or situations in our own lives that, whereby, as disciples of Jesus, we may encounter each day a simple call to respond in charity, or friendship.  Such actions may be to people who, like this little Haitian baby, are unable in any way to pay us back for our concern, generosity, and kindness.  We may be called to act in such a way even with people we dislike or whose philosophy with which we do not agree.   To do good in an unseen way in such encounters requires humility on our parts.   Such actions of goodness often may be done in a trust and hope that they will make a difference for the person we touch and help. Filled with this spirit of humility, which is advocated in the readings this weekend, we must submit our actions of charity and love to our loving Father that He may bless through our outreach, those whom we touch with our simple acts of kindness and love.    And when these acts are done in Jesus' name, as his disciples, and in this spirit of humility, then, like the Book of Sirach says in our first reading we will find favor with God-“…. conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gift.  Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.”  (Sirach 3:17-18)                                            Acting with humility, may not always be an easy thing to do and that it why the power of Jesus' spirit in us must be stronger than our simple decision to do act in such a way.  And in order for the strength of that Spirit within us to be strong, it requires of us to be a people whose faith is sustained through reception of the sacraments and whose life of prayer is centered on Jesus and his gospel.  When we decide to live in such a way, then the humility that was in Jesus, will also be strong in us.                   The words of Henry Drumond, a Scottish evangelist, may give us pause to think differently of Jesus's words in the gospel today, and encourage us to act with humility, generosity, and kindness for the good we can do.  The good we can do if we too, like Jesus are humble and empowered by the Spirit.

“I shall pass through this world but once.
 Any good therefore that I can do…or ANY kindness that I can show… to ANY human being, let me do it NOW.  Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

1.      Https://iamfearless.com/i-shall-not-pass-this-way-again-a-life-changing -poem.