GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Sunday - August 28, 2022

Sunday - August 28, 2022

"The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist."

--Pope St. Gregory the Great

August 28, 2022

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Lectionary: 126

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    Sir 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.

 

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

 

R. (cf. 11b)  God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

 

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.

 

Reading II                                                     Heb 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.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2 Mt 11:29ab   

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,

and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Lk 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."

 

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Doing good for the sake of — what?

This Sunday’s Gospel reading raises the question: What are my expectations (my motivations) when I do good? How other-centered are they? How self-centered?

 

If benefiting others is done for the sake of receiving something in return, our motive is not Christ-like.

 

Jesus explains this with the example of inviting to a banquet those who cannot return the favor. He’s not saying that we have to do this to be holy. That interpretation would be too literal; it misses the point.

 

The real message is that whatever we do, we should do it for the sake of love, rather than for repayment, i.e., for our own gain. We should do good to others for the sake of the benefit it will give to them. This seems like a no-brainer, but stop for a minute to think about how much you’d like to be thanked and appreciated. What else do you hope to get from the good you do?

 

Even when someone sins against us and we pray for them to repent, our prayer should be offered out of concern for their souls. Sure, we also wish they would change so that our own lives will be easier, but that should not be our primary concern.

 

As followers of Christ, if we receive any blessings in return for the good we do, that’s our bonus, not our motive. We can rightly look forward to such bonuses, but our joy does not depend on them.

 

By becoming aware of our motives and expectations, we gain the freedom to choose to be more like Jesus. As he promised, “You will receive your reward at the resurrection of the righteous.” The fulfillment of this promise begins now, in the moment that we decide to be like the Resurrected One, our Lord Jesus.

 

The reward he gives us here and now is the grace that enables us to do whatever he asks and to do it generously and cheerfully. We’ll receive other blessings besides, but that’s not our main motive.

 

Today's Prayer

 

My Lord, give me the grace to be willing and strong to pay the price of being Your witness and disciple. Amen.

 

God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”