Jen + Juice

Sunday, August 31, 2025
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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First Reading:
Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
This week’s first reading tells us that greatness and strength aren’t measured by perfection, at least not in Spirit’s eyes, nor in those aligned with our highest path. True greatness and strength come from embodying humility, no matter our accomplishments in life.

Do not get carried away by pride — pride hardens our hearts and creates separation from others. But humility softens our hearts to others, and keeps us open and eager to learning and growing in divine wisdom.

Humility also releases self-importance, leading us to want to generously serve others, and take care of those in need. By doing this, we are participating in God’s work of healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation — for others and for ourselves.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11
In the responsorial psalm, we see that God is strong and powerful, but this strength and power are shown through compassion for the weak and in setting souls free from bondage. God is not asking to be worshipped and pedestalized as a majestic enthroned Man in the Sky, separated from us. Instead, God is asking us to allow Spirit to walk alongside us and work through us as we follow the call of humble and compassionate service.

Second Reading:
Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a
The second reading compares the symbolism of Mount Sinai and Mount Zion, each symbolically representing two different ideas of consciousness.

The first, Mount Sinai, is where Israel gathered to receive the old covenant. It feels terrifying — burning with fire, shrouded in darkness, storms, a blaring trumpet, etc. At Mount Sinai, we believe we must earn love through perfection and obligation, leading to feelings of unworthiness and shame when we make mistakes. God feels unapproachable — or emotionally unavailable — leading us to separation consciousness from ourselves, others, and God.

In contrast, the passage speaks of Mount Zion, which is the heavenly energy — filled with angels and the Light. Jesus is there as the messenger of the new covenant, with the sprinkled blood representing grace and forgiveness rather than condemnation.

At Mount Zion, we know we are loved, not because of what we exhaustingly do to “earn” it, but simply because we are. This is the place of the softened heart — of unity with God and with others. We are warmly welcomed home with open arms through the consciousness of Christ.

Alleluia:
Matthew 11:29ab
“Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,
and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.”

Gospel Reading:
Luke 14:1, 7-14
In the Gospel reading, Jesus observes people choosing their seats at a sabbath dinner in one of the Jewish high minister’s homes and shares a parable. He mentions how if you’re seating yourself at the place of honor, you will be demoted by the host. So always walk humbly, free your soul from the chains of the egoic hierarchy, and your soul will rise.

Then he shares the importance of holding dinners (or humbly serving others) with no expectations of repayment. Jesus placed the poor and disabled as his top priority knowing they could never repay him. And he invites us to walk alongside him (not below him) to do the same.

Love is not earned. Love simply is.

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Have you ever done something in your life that you’re not proud of, something you thought you would never do?

It’s okay, I have too. A few things actually.

And man they knocked me off my high horse — a horse that I didn’t even realize I was parading on until I was on the ground.

Afterwards, I went through the gamut of heavy emotions: shame, guilt, unworthiness, self-loathing. Quite the humbling experience.

And in those moments, I had two choices:

I either a) stay in the shame spiral and live a life imprisoned to my expectations of perfection, all the while, wearing a mask so nobody can see my imperfections — exhausting myself by trying to maintain my untarnished reputation, while internally still carrying the shame and guilt of my mistakes.

Whew that’s heavy and was a mouthful.

Or b) recognize that I’m perfectly imperfect and give myself some grace and the permission to mess up sometimes, leaving the space for self-reflection, self-awareness, self-forgiveness, and growth. This will ultimately be reflected in grace and compassion for others who mess up too, because dang it, we’re not perfect either. And life is really freaking hard to navigate sometimes — for all of us.

In my personal situations, I’ve kind of done both….once I finally decided to start crawling my way out of the first one, away from Mount Sinai. But the goal is that we can all eventually make it to the second one, to Mount Zion.

It is still important, however, to allow ourselves to feel remorse for our mistakes, so the shock can wake us up from our unconscious behaviors, and we can begin living life with more presence and conscious intention. If we don’t even feel bad about our mistakes, then we’re either a psychopath (just sayin’) or we’re bypassing with toxic positivity. Or we’re selfishly projecting blame onto others, or throwing someone else under the bus, in order to remain propped up on our own egoically-glorified pedestal.

So yes, the feelings of remorse, guilt, and shame are important, but it’s also important to not allow ourselves to stay there. It was never meant to be a life sentence, and we don’t have to “earn” anyone’s love, or “earn” our way back to God.

We have never been separate from love or from God.

But sometimes we have to be challenged in new ways, make some mistakes, and then learn from those mistakes, in order to soften our hearts and realize this truth.

Can you imagine taking kindergarten math your entire life? How would we grow if we were never challenged in new ways? (We wouldn’t.)

Or what if we progressed in grade level, but our teacher never marked anything wrong on our tests, even though we missed multiple questions? Perfect score every time. How would we learn from our mistakes if we weren’t even looking at the fact that we made any? (We wouldn’t.)

But the big red Xs on our test aren’t meant to make us feel like a dummy — at least not forever; they are meant to teach us where there’s potential for further learning and growth.

Our mistakes in life are the same. They’re meant to illuminate the shadows in our subconscious that led us to make mistakes to begin with.

They’re also meant to help us soften our hearts and hold humanity with more grace — to sharpen our vision through the eyes of Christ consciousness, or unity consciousness, and not through separation consciousness. To see ourselves in others and others in ourselves.

Perfection is unattainable. But by subconsciously setting the bar at *perfection*, we find ourselves creating a hierarchy — pedestalizing some people and vilifying others. This furthers the separation between us as a collective, which is the opposite of unity or Christ consciousness.

And as soon as someone who’s been pedestalized makes a mistake we believe we’d never make, we knock them down on the hierarchy — possibly even cancelled, blocked, ghosted, shunned — we’ve placed ourselves above them on our hierarchy.

And as soon as you allow others to pedestalize you, the same will also happen for you. So don’t allow anyone to exalt you — stay humble and remember where your blessings came from. (Hint: Look up.)

Also remember, just because we believe we’d never make their mistakes, those same people may never make our mistakes either.

And even further, we might surprise ourselves and make mistakes we never thought we’d make until we make them. Life can be funny like that sometimes.

We messed up, and that’s okay. Other people have messed up, and that’s okay too. We are all different, but we are also all the same.

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

As we do this self-reflection work, we realize how much effort it takes to heal and grow. And this naturally leads to compassion for others who are also doing their best to find their way.

“We’re all in this thing together.”

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Songs:
“We’re All In This Together” – Old Crow Medicine Show
We’re all in this thing together 
Walkin’ the line between faith and fear 
This life don’t last forever 
When you cry I taste the salt in your tears

“Forgiveness” – Elephant Revival
I have become the devil
To realize that I’m divine
I have been living with demons
Last night I left them by the fire
In my quest I seek forgiveness
In my love, I will forgive
I have lied to see what truth is
The burns heal, the smoke clears away

“Sing to the Mountain” – Elephant Revival
Go and sing to the mountain
Go and sing to the moon
Go and sing to just about everything
‘Cause everything is you

“One of Us” – Joan Osborne
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home

“Hands” – Jewel
We are God’s eyes
God’s hands
God’s mind
We are God’s eyes
God’s hands
God’s heart
We are God’s eyes
God’s hands
God’s eyes
We are God’s hands
We are God’s hands

“Humbling River” – Puscifer
Braved the forests, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
Yet I’m helpless by the river

Angel, angel, what have I done?
I’ve faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I’ve conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can’t I cross this river?

Pay no mind to the battles you’ve won
It’ll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands, my son
Or you’ll never make it over the river

It’ll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we’ll cross the river

“Pneuma” – Tool
Pneuma
Reach out and beyond
Wake up remember
We are born of one breath, one word
We are all one spark, eyes full of wonder

“One” – U2
One love, one blood
One life, you got to do what you should
One life, with each other
Sisters, brothers

One life but we’re not the same
We get to carry each other, carry each other
One
One

Hymns:
“Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” – Prayer of St. Francis
Make me a channel of your peace. 
Where there is hatred let me bring your love. 
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord 
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope 
Where there is darkness, only light 
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console 
To be understood as to understand 
To be loved as to love with all my soul. 

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned 
In giving to all men that we receive 
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console 
To be understood as to understand 
To be loved as to love with all my soul. 

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned 
In giving to all men that we receive 
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

“Here I am, Lord”
I, the Lord of the sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.

I who have made the stars of the night,
I will make their darkness bright
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. 
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

“Amazing Grace”
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
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First Reading:
Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
17 My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. 18 Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. 20 What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.  28 The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise. 29 Water quenches a flaming fire, and alms atone for sins.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11
R. (cf. 11b)  God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
4 The just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
5 Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
6 The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
7 God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
10 A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;
you restored the land when it languished;
11 your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

Second Reading:
Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a
18 Brothers and sisters:
You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm 19 and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them. 22 No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, 23 and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, 24 and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

Alleluia:
Matthew 11:29ab
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
6 I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father, except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Reading:
Luke 14:1, 7-14
1 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.

7 He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, 9 and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. 10 Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. 11 For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. 13 Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; 14 blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

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