‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.’
The themes of today’s readings are humility, generosity, and respect and care for all.
In the First Reading Sirach advises us to be thoughtful and attentive to others. We are to be modest, not seeking praise or approval for our action: everything good is a gift from God, and to be shared with others.
The Psalm is a song of thanksgiving and hope, calling us to rejoice and trust in God’s care. Everyone is valuable in God’s eyes. This care for the suffering and oppressed points to Jesus, who came to serve the poor.
Jesus uses the setting of eating together at a feast to teach us the values of the Kingdom of God (Gospel). We are to put others before ourselves, showing kindness and compassion to everyone, especially those who cannot repay us. By following Jesus’s own values of selfless giving and humility, we radiate God’s love to others. We will be rewarded at the resurrection with our own place at the heavenly banquet.
The Second Reading presents Jesus as the mediator of the new covenant. Each of us can rejoice, celebrating our identity in God’s family, where everyone has the same rights as a firstborn child.
As Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee year, we pray to be attentive and kind towards everyone we encounter this week. We think especially of those on the margins of society, and in areas of violence and war.
