August 27, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

The Book of Sirach says to humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. This message is echoed in the parable about a wedding banquet that Jesus tells in today’s Gospel reading. Invited guests should not sit in the place of honor. Otherwise, when a more distinguished guest arrives they will be asked to move down to the lowest place, causing embarrassment. Instead, they should choose to sit at the lowest place. Then, when the host invites them to sit at a higher place, they will be esteemed. 

Jesus continues, telling his host that when he holds a banquet, he should not invite his friends, relatives, and wealthy neighbors, who might then repay the favor by inviting him in return. Instead, he should invite those who are unable to repay him, for then he will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

God is aboundingly generous to us, in ways that we know we can never repay. He is instructing us to be as open and free in our own generosity to others. As we have received, so should we give. The kingdom can be grown and nurtured only through our imitation of God’s love, manifested in Jesus Christ. In our own humble recognition of our poverty (both spiritual and material) without God, so should we recognize that it is the humility of Christ who became man that opened the way to our invitation to the heavenly banquet. Thus, we serve him when we are humble like him.

There is a connection between humility and service. With humility, we see ourselves clearly. We do our duty and avoid what is beyond our strength. We think about others more than ourselves. When we are guests, we take the lowest place. When we are hosts, we invite the lowest.

Every Sunday, we are invited to a wedding banquet, a feast at which we renew our covenant with our Bridegroom. Christ invites us to approach Mount Zion, and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. We cannot hope to repay Christ for the gift he has given us. Instead, we are called to imitate his humility and loving service. We are called to pour ourselves out to our brothers and sisters in the same way he has poured himself out for us.

God Love Ya, 
Fr. Reilly

A Few Odds and Ends

Saturday Morning Mass/Confessions
Next Saturday morning Mass will be permanently changed from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM.

Confessions will be heard from 8:00 AM to 8:20 AM.

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Adoration and Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament

This will resume on Wednesday, September 3 following the 8:30 AM Mass.

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