Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

In other years: Saint Augustine of Hippo, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (354-430)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 70 The Presumption of Defending Another in the Monastery

Mass:  Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Resp Ps 68; Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a; Lk 14:1, 7-14

The just exalt and rejoice before God.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

HEART OF MARY, ABYSS OF HUMBLENESS,

PRAY FOR US.

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.

(Sirach 3:17-18)

About humility, it occurred to me that part of it is keeping things in perspective. There are several ways to go about that and one is to turn to our Profession of Faith:

I believe in One God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible ...

(The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed)

Another is to go outside and look at the beauty of God's wondrous works. I took my own advice ☺and managed to capture several photos of flowers and more to share with you in the coming days.

Yet another is to turn to one of my favorite lines from the psalmist: Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it (Ps 127:1).

We go forth, united in faith and prayer, and take the lowest place (Lk 14:10). It takes a lot less energy than doing otherwise. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all those who humble themselves will be exalted (Lk 14:11). Whoever boasts should boast in the Lord.

Beginning with our misery, humility makes us take our gaze off ourselves in order to turn it toward God, to the one who can do everything and who even obtains for us what we could not succeed in obtaining on our own. "All things can be done for one who believes."
(Pope Francis, homily, Mass for the Celestine Feast of Forgiveness, L'Aquila, Italy, August 28, 2022)

Even as a boy I had heard of eternal life promised to us through the humility of the Lord our God, who came to visit us in our pride, and I was signed with the sign of His cross, and was seasoned with His salt even from the womb of my mother, who greatly trusted in you.

(Saint Augustine, Confessions, XI, 17)

SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO,

SAINT MONICA,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Sing praise to God, chant praise to His name.   

© Gertrude Feick 2022