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Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne
August 31, 2025
On this page you will find:
The readings for Mass, the Mass leaflet with the choice of hymns
A sample universal prayer available for download , in PDF and editable Word formats.
A meditation on the Sunday Gospel , a spiritual text and a commentary by Marie-Noëlle Thabut
22nd Sunday
Ordinary Time
Have within you the dispositions
who are in Christ Jesus:
Christ Jesus humbled himself,
becoming obedient unto death,
and the death of the cross.
That is why God exalted him:
He bestowed upon it the Name
which is above all names.
Philippians 2:8-9
Readings from the Mass
Celebration of Madeleine's Baptism
Universal Prayer
Lectio Divina
Consult this page for a prayerful preparation for the liturgy and then read the meditations below.
Meditation
This Sunday's Gospel (cf. Lk 14:1, 7-14) shows us Jesus attending a banquet in the house of a prominent Pharisee. Jesus watches and observes the guests running and rushing to take the best seats. This is a rather widespread attitude, even today, and not only when invited to lunch: usually, people seek the first place to assert a supposed superiority over others. In reality, this race for the best seats harms the community, both civil and ecclesial, because it undermines fraternity. We all know these people: climbers, always climbing higher and higher… They harm fraternity; they damage it. Faced with this scene, Jesus tells two short parables.
The first parable is addressed to someone invited to a banquet, urging them not to sit in the place of honor, “lest someone more worthy than you be invited by your host, and the one who invited both of you come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you would have to go and take the lowest place, full of shame” (cf. vv. 8-9). In contrast, Jesus teaches us to adopt the opposite attitude: “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’” (v. 10). Therefore, we should not take the initiative to seek the attention and consideration of others, but rather let others grant it to us. Jesus always shows us the way of humility—we must learn the way of humility! — because it's the most authentic, the one that also allows for authentic relationships. True humility, not false humility, the kind that in Piedmont is called mugna quacia, no, not that one. True humility.
In the second parable, Jesus addresses the one who invites, and, referring to the way guests are selected, he says: “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you” (vv. 13-14). Here again, Jesus goes completely against the grain, demonstrating, as always, the logic of God the Father. And he also adds the key to interpreting his discourse. And what is the key? A promise: if you do this, “you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (v. 14). This means that the one who behaves in this way will have the divine reward, far superior to the human equivalent: I do you this favor while waiting for you to do me another. No, that is not Christian. Humble generosity is Christian. Human reward, in fact, usually distorts relationships, making them "commercial" by introducing self-interest into a relationship that should be generous and selfless. In contrast, Jesus invites us to selfless generosity, opening the way for us to a much greater joy: the joy of participating in the very love of God, which awaits us all at the heavenly banquet.
May the Virgin Mary, "humble and exalted more than any creature" (Dante, Paradise, XXXIII, 2), help us to recognize ourselves as we are, that is to say, small; and to rejoice in giving without expectation of return.
POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, September 1, 2019
The Little Way of the Gospel
Interview with Bernadette Dumont
for Magnificat
(I highly recommend subscribing: here )
Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord, and become my disciples, for I am gentle and humble in heart.
◗ Is this Jesus taking care of seating us at the table?
Jesus is very observant. Invited to a large Sabbath luncheon by a prominent figure, he sees people pushing their way through the crowds to take the places of honor. This gives him a good opportunity to remind them of certain conditions for entering the kingdom of heaven and being received in the best seats.
◗ And what are these conditions?
The first reading tells us this explicitly in negative terms: The condition of the proud is incurable, for the root of the evil lies within them. Those who advance to the highest positions do not wait to receive them from the master, but they attribute them to themselves through pride.
So, is pride the greatest of sins?
More than that, it's a sin that leads to committing a multitude of other grave sins against love. Think of all that one must do to rise and stay at the top… One is preoccupied above all with oneself; others are only of interest insofar as they can contribute to one's success. And those who can overshadow you become your enemies. In the life of the proud, there is little "free" space for others and for God. Yet, freeness means grace.
◗ Therefore, "whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted!"
Yes, and this is a complete reversal of the values of our world. Whatever talents we have received—talents we have a duty to cultivate—let us not use them to put ourselves forward, to dominate others, but rather to serve them. Let us have in us the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Though he was in the form of God, he humbled himself by becoming a gentle and humble man. He took the place of a servant among us, and moreover, a suffering servant, for he gave his life. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place!
◗ And here Jesus concludes his second parable, speaking of "the resurrection of the righteous".
After the resurrection, freed from all pride, conformed to Christ Jesus, we will be forever dedicated to making others happy and being made happy by others, in the communion of God's love. And what if we started right now?
◗ How?
By following Jesus' good advice when we are invited and when we invite. But above all, by responding, through our whole life given to him:
Take my yoke upon you, become my disciples, for I am gentle and humble in heart.
Catechist and author of children's books, Bernadette Dumont is a mother and grandmother.
Better understanding the Gospel
with Marie-Noëlle Thabut
Homily
Source: Drawing from the source
The biblical readings for this Sunday speak to us of humility. They are not simply offering advice on politeness and etiquette. They address something far more important; to understand this message, we must look to Christ. In his letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul tells us that Jesus “humbled himself… even to death, even to a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place.” In this way, Jesus shows us the path that leads to the Father.
The first reading recounts the words of Ben Sirach the Wise. This man encountered people who held positions of great responsibility. Some were truly puffed up with pride: this corrupted even the best things to their very core; others acted with patience and gentleness. By remaining humble, they knew how to win people's affection; this made them more effective. This lesson in humility is not merely good advice for gaining respect. The humility emphasized here is first and foremost that of the Lord. It is the humble who give Him glory. By doing “everything with humility,” we align ourselves with the Lord Himself.
We find a similar message in the second reading (Letter to the Hebrews). The author speaks of the coming of God and his manifestations. In the past, on Mount Sinai, these manifestations were visible: there was fire, darkness, a hurricane, and the sound of trumpets. When Christ came, none of that occurred: everything happened in humility. This coming of Christ was for Christians the starting point of a new covenant, a new relationship with God. It is in Jesus that we find the source of happiness in heaven and on earth. We are ushered into the holy city with the saints and angels. Such is the teaching of the author of the Letter to the Hebrews.
The Gospel shows us Jesus invited to the home of a Pharisee leader for a meal. He observes that the guests spontaneously choose the best seats. So, he tells a parable to set things right: Let us understand clearly: these words of Christ are not mere advice on politeness; he has something much more important to do: “Go and sit in the lowest place,” he says, “and people will tell you to move up.” Through these words, Christ speaks to us about the conditions for entering the Kingdom of God: he urges us to banish all ambition, all feelings of superiority.
This is the message we find in the Magnificat of the Virgin Mary: God exalts the humble; he humbles the proud. In today's Gospel, Jesus encourages us to invite the lowly, the poor, the excluded. Of course, they cannot reciprocate the attention we give them. But this freely given and selfless love will not go unrewarded on the day of the resurrection. To be both unassuming and selfless is the best way to win the hearts of God and of humankind.
To help us understand this, we can start with what we have observed. Rivers flow to the sea because the sea level is lower than that of the rivers. It is the sea's ability to remain so low that allows it to collect all that water. This is somewhat analogous to what happens in our relationship with God. He is like that river for us, longing to fill us with His love. But this will only be possible if we remain at the right level. Humility helps us accept our own smallness and the greatness of God. If we remain consumed by our pride and our sense of superiority, nothing will be possible.
Jesus gave us the most beautiful example of humility. He is God made man. He was born into the most ordinary circumstances. He lived among the fishermen of the Sea of Galilee; he welcomed tax collectors, notorious sinners, and lepers. In every circumstance, he was a model of humility. He only allowed his disciples to call him “Teacher and Lord” after washing their feet. We must not forget that this humble service was normally performed only by the servant. We, disciples of Christ, are invited to follow the same path as the Master each day.
On this day, we turn to you, Lord: you came not to be served but to serve. You who know our pride and our desires for greatness, we pray to you: show us the joy of giving our lives for those we love; thus, we may all attain the joy of your Kingdom. Amen
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