Homily 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 31, 2025

 Today's readings can be found here.

     Have you ever planned a wedding reception and tried to work out a seating chart?  My wife and I assisted our son and daughter in law with their wedding seating.  It’s always a challenge.  Who should sit where?  Which people should NOT sit together?  Where should the tables for the bride and groom’s parents be placed?  There are so many family dynamics that need to be considered when making the arrangements.

If you’ve attended a wedding reception, I’m sure one of the first things you’ve thought about is where you’re going to sit and who you’re sitting with.  Have you been to a wedding with open seating and the chairs are leaning against the table?  Or there’s something on a seat to reserve it?  I’ve attended a wedding where my wife and I sat in the back sitting with the photographer.  This meant we were one of the last tables to be called up to the buffet.  For some, a poor seating arrangement can ruin their evening.  At my wedding, we had open seating with just the parents tables reserved.  One of my aunts was upset that she didn’t get to sit with my parents.  She always felt she was the most important person in the room.

Looks like not much has changed since Jesus’ time when it comes to weddings.  Jesus attended a dinner and everyone was paying close attention to where He would sit.  To see how important Jesus thought He was.  Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them about humility.  What comes to mind when you think of a humble person?  I decided to see what the internet said.  After all, the internet knows everything, right?

I found several definitions for the word humility.  The Oxford dictionary describes it as low self-regard or a sense of unworthiness.  I bet if you asked someone to define humility they would give a similar answer.  The Webster-Miriam dictionary defines humility as freedom from pride or arrogance.  The definition I like best is the Cambridge dictionary.  It defines humility as an attitude that you have no special importance that makes you better than others.

The people dining with Jesus likely expected him to take a seat of honor.  Perhaps they were hoping Jesus would be told to sit somewhere else.  Jesus, however, doesn’t play their game.  He teaches us that true humility is thinking of others first.  Jesus tells us to take the lowest place.  To have the attitude that we’re not better than others.  Are we comfortable taking a seat at the table all the way in the back near the kitchen?  To be last to be called up to the buffet?  After all, Jesus didn’t say that if you take the lowest place, the host WOULD move you up to a higher place.  Jesus said the host MAY come to you.  They also may not.

Our Gospel not only tells us to be humble, it shows us how to do so.  When I had my First Communion, my parents threw a party to celebrate the occasion and invited all their friends.  I received many cards with congratulations.  Some of my parents friends were kind enough to give money as a gift.  I remember as the party was winding down, my brother, sister, and I wanted to see what my “take” was.  We opened the cards, counted the cash and checks, and put them in a stack.  What we failed to do was note who gave what.

    When my dad found we’d opened the cards, he was livid.  Since nothing was written down, he wouldn’t know how much each of his friends had given.  It meant he would not know how much to reciprocate if one of his friends invited him to an event.  My dad could be a very generous person.  However, reciprocity was very important to him.  Jesus is calling us to be generous to all, especially to those that cannot reciprocate.

    Humility begins with generosity.  Not just the generosity that comes from giving of our talent or treasure.  I'm talking about generosity in the way we deal with others. Being more generous with patience for others. Being more generous in paying attention to the person we're talking to. Being more generous in praising and thanking others. Being more generous in showing appreciation for others. Being more generous in giving grace to those that we disagree with or make us angry.     

    In his first Epistle, Peter gives us an example of how to become more humble.  He says “be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble.  Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing.”  Blessing others helps us to develop an attitude that we are not better than them.  I’ve been reading a book on Eucharist Adoration.  The author wrote that mercy is a form of temporal and spiritual generosity.

    Labor Day weekend is a perfect time for us to rededicate ourselves to be more merciful and generous to others.  Depending on what data you use, about 50 to 75% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.  People are working very hard to make ends meet.  How do we treat not only the people we work with, but the workers we encounter as we go about our day?  Do we treat the person getting our coffee with the dignity and respect they deserve?  Are we merciful towards those simply trying to make enough to support their families, especially immigrants and migrant workers?  Are we blessing everyone we meet?  Small acts of kindness and generosity can help someone get through the rest of their work day.

    Our first reading says that being humble is preferable to giving gifts.  The greater we think we are, the more we should humble ourselves.  Being generous to others is the path to humility.  Generosity is not simply sharing the things we have with others.  Being generous is about blessing others and showing them mercy.  Generosity is about treating others with respect and dignity.  Fr. Ring asked us last week if there are assigned seats in the Kingdom.  Even if there are, let’s take the lowest seat at the table anyway.  Both here and in the Kingdom.