22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

‘Humble yourself so you will find favour in the sight of the Lord.’

My son, perform your tasks in meekness; then you will be loved by those whom God accepts. The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favour in the sight of the Lord. For great is the might of the Lord; he is glorified by the humble. The affliction of the proud has no healing, for a plant of wickedness has taken root in him. The mind of the intelligent man will ponder a parable, and an attentive ear is the wise man’s desire. 

In your goodness, O God, you provided a home for the poor.

The upright shall rejoice at the presence of God;

they shall exult with glad rejoicing.

O sing to God; make music to his name.

The Lord is his name.

In your goodness, O God, you provided a home for the poor.

Father of orphans, defender of widows:

such is God in his holy place.

God gives the desolate a home to dwell in;

he leads the prisoners forth into prosperity.

In your goodness, O God, you provided a home for the poor.

You poured down, O God, a generous rain;

when your heritage languished, you restored it.

It was there that your flock began to dwell.

In your goodness, O God, you provided for the poor.

In your goodness, O God, you provided a home for the poor.

‘You have come to Mount Sion and to the city of the living God.’

Brothers and Sisters: You have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.

  But you have come to Mount Sion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,

and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.

Alleluia.

‘Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.

 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honour, saying to them, ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honour, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, “Give your place to this person”, and then you, with shame, will take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher.” Then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’

  He said also to the man who had invited him, ‘When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends, or your brothers and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbours, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’