Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C (2025)
Sunday, September 7, 2025
The Readings for this Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, together, challenge us to reflect on our understanding of true wisdom, the essence of Christian love, and the cost of discipleship. The First Reading from the Book of Wisdom emphasizes the inadequacy of human reasoning, as only God can provide true guidance. Human capacity has limitations in comprehending divine wisdom, and in a world filled with noise and confusion, we often rely on our own understanding or the fleeting wisdom of society. Yet, as we learn from the Reading, true wisdom is a gift from God, discerned only through the Holy Spirit, who illuminates our minds when we recognize our limits and become open to Him ordering our lives. St. Augustine remarked, “Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.” This wisdom teaches us that our journey starts with faith, and it is through prayer and contemplation that we open ourselves to the divine insight God wishes to bestow upon us. As we recognize our limitations, we must earnestly seek the wisdom that aligns our lives with God’s will.
In the Second Reading from Paul’s letter to Philemon, a short epistle of only 25 verses in a single chapter, we see St. Paul’s heartfelt appeal to Philemon regarding Onesimus, a runaway slave from his master, who has now been converted and spiritually transformed. Paul urges Philemon to embrace Onesimus not as a slave in his household, but in his heart as a beloved brother in Christ. This powerfully illustrates that Christian love transcends social barriers and reflects the radical transformation that occurs when we view others through the lens of Christian love and brotherhood. How do we uphold the dignity of others in our daily interactions? Do we treat all people—friends, family, strangers, and even enemies—with the love that Christ commands?
Finally, as we turn to today’s Gospel, taken from Luke 14:25-33, we encounter a challenging message. Jesus, whose love is immeasurable and encompasses all creation, fully demonstrated by His sacrificial death for humanity’s redemption, speaks of the necessity to “hate” our family. This can be confounding, but it is actually hyperbolic, using exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally. It also proves how passages of Holy Scripture can be taken out of context and misused to influence people’s emotions and beliefs. However, Jesus reveals the statement’s true meaning by immediately following it with illustrations of someone building a tower who calculates the cost of completing it and a king considering the strength of his army against that of his opponent. The Lord makes it clear that our discipleship requires the totality of our lives. He is asking us to reassess our priorities and attachments. Both illustrations require foresight and honest evaluation.
Let’s think about being disciples and what that means. Are we all in? Let’s pray that we put God first and that all other relationships and aspects of our lives flow from our relationship with Him.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.