2025/08/31 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Jay Wagner-Yau, Chapel Choir Director
In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus attending a meal at the home of a leading Pharisee. As He watches the guests vying for places of honor, He uses the moment to teach an essential truth about the Christian life: humility. What starts as a comment on social behavior becomes a profound lesson on how we are called to live in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus says, “When you are invited, go and take the lowest place.” At first glance, this might seem like mere advice on being polite or modest. But Jesus is speaking about much more than dinner parties. He is inviting us to examine the desires of our hearts—especially our craving for recognition, importance, and reward.
In a world that encourages self-promotion and competition, Jesus offers a radical alternative: take the lowest place. Choose humility, not as a strategy to be later exalted, but as a way of life rooted in love and trust in God.
Humility is not thinking less of ourselves—it is thinking of ourselves less. It is not about denying our worth but about understanding that our worth comes from God, not from worldly achievements or the opinions of others. When we are truly humble, we are free: free from the burden of proving ourselves, free from jealousy, and free to love others generously.
Humility allows us to see others as God sees them. It helps us recognize the dignity of those who may go unnoticed by the world—the poor, the sick, the forgotten. Jesus tells the host of the meal, “When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.” In this, He teaches us that love must go beyond reciprocity. We are not to give in order to receive something in return. True Christian charity is selfless.
This message cuts to the heart of Christian discipleship. To follow Christ is to imitate His humility. As St. Paul writes in Philippians 2, Jesus “emptied Himself” and took the form of a servant. Though He was God, He chose the lowest place—born in a stable, washing the feet of His disciples, dying on a cross. His life was a constant act of self-giving love.
In this Gospel, Jesus is not only teaching us how to act but revealing something about God Himself. God exalts the humble. He notices the lowly. He lifts up the poor and fills the hungry with good things, as Mary proclaims in her Magnificat. To be close to God, we must become like Him in humility and love.
This reflection is especially meaningful when we consider how we treat others in our daily lives. Do we seek to serve or to be served? Are we kind and generous only when it is convenient or when it will be noticed? Are we willing to welcome those who are different from us—those who cannot repay us?
In our parishes, families, workplaces, and communities, Jesus is inviting us to live differently. He is calling us to live with a humble heart that does not seek recognition but seeks to love. This kind of love transforms the world. It breaks down walls, heals wounds, and makes space for God's grace to work.
As we receive the Eucharist today, we are reminded of the humility of Christ, who becomes present to us in something as simple as bread and wine. He continues to take the lowest place so that we might be nourished and saved. Let us ask Him for the grace to become more like Him—humble, generous, and loving.
May we go forth from this Mass ready to choose the lower place, to serve without counting the cost, and to welcome those whom the world forgets. In doing so, we will not only reflect the heart of Christ—we will be preparing our place at the heavenly banquet, where the humble will be truly exalted.