Gospel Commentary – August 31, 2025

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Dear brothers and sisters, peace and blessings.

The month of August is ending. On September 1st in Russia, besides the beginning of the meteorological autumn, the school year begins. We return to normal life after the holidays. That daily life in which most of us spend most of the year.

To make this return more “Christian,” the readings help us to find our true place. They can help us realize the way to become more human, to resemble the Son of God more, and at the same time, to be a little happier. They remind us how we should live each day as followers of Jesus. And, as always, it doesn’t usually match what the world invites us to do every day.

The Book of Sirach reminds us that in order to gain God’s favor we must humble ourselves. This does not mean lowering ourselves or losing dignity before people. We often link that word to someone weak, timid, someone who never opposes anything or anyone. Some confuse humility with humiliation, with “resignation,” with putting up with everything and swallowing it all… All these meanings are far from what the biblical writers intended. They come instead from poor spiritual guides and directors of conscience who try to form puppets instead of responsible people. And those who reject humility because of these false ideas are right to do so.

Because Scripture, when it praises the humble, means something else. When Jesus proclaims in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the humble,” or when He says of Himself, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart,” He is not calling us to resignation, or to silence in the face of injustice, or to humiliation. Because He never lived that way.

True humility, as Saint Teresa said, “is to walk in truth.” A humble person is one who puts their gifts and talents at the service of others. Someone who recognizes that everything they have comes from God, and that our brothers and sisters may ask for help when they need it. A humble person, precisely because of humility, spreads peace and happiness around them. They show everyone that life can be lived for others—without selfishness, without showing off—and that we can help make God’s Kingdom present by sharing the gifts He has given us.

That is why Jesus Himself defines Himself as “gentle and humble of heart”: as the One who gave Himself completely out of pure love. Always attentive to the will of His Father, to carry it out with the best disposition.

This same Jesus, “mediator of the New Covenant,” came to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament and to go beyond the rules that had been so important until then. This is what the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, which we have been reading for weeks, wants us to understand. Many Jewish converts still longed for the old rituals. They didn’t feel fully free, even after their conversion.

There was, in the past, a “terrible” experience on Mount Sinai: fire, darkness, and shadows. An experience so intimidating that it required a mediator—Moses—to intercede with God so the people would not perish. In contrast, believers in Christ no longer approach a mountain, but Christ Himself, the visible sign of God’s love for humankind. Now there is nothing to fear. On the contrary, finding Christ is reason to celebrate: the Eucharistic banquet to which the Lord Himself invites us.

Like the banquet Jesus attended when He was invited by one of the leading Pharisees. For the Master, any occasion was a chance to announce the Kingdom. Today, for example, He speaks to us about acting without seeking our own interest.

How hard it is for us to do things without expecting anything in return! Almost always we want some response, some kind of repayment. Too often we put our own benefit above that of others. Sometimes we even fall into the subtle trap of doing things “to feel proud of ourselves,” which is just another form of selfishness. And here is Jesus’ invitation, without more words, in case you want to receive it: do not invite your friends, relatives, or rich neighbors, because they will repay you and you will already have your reward. In today’s words of consumer society: invest without expecting returns; give freely… Because that is how your Father God is, and He wants you to resemble Him.

Whoever loves with the only goal of seeking their brother’s good resembles the Father in heaven and experiences God’s own joy. God’s happiness is found here: in loving freely. This is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise: “Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.” What more could we ask for?

A year ago, the Olympic Games were being held in Paris. For seventeen days, hundreds of athletes gave their best to win a medal. So many hours of effort to win—or lose—everything in just a few minutes, sometimes seconds. We can recall the words of Baron de Coubertin, who revived the Games: “The important thing is not victory but effort.” When reviewing our life’s scoreboard, God will not ask whether we broke many records, but whether we managed to make an effort each day. It is in daily life, in the training of prayer and listening to God’s Word, where we win our eternal medal. A medal worth more than gold.

Your brother in faith,