Don’t delude yourselves, Jesus says through the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. We really are supposed to care for others. It is not enough to go to Mass and occasionally serve at a parish or outreach function. We cannot remain complacent and consider ourselves followers of Jesus. No matter how much or how little material wealth we have, we always have something to give--our time and attention, care, and, when possible, our money. The way we treat and care for others, especially the poor and vulnerable, is the manner in which we show our love of God. As disciples, we must “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” Jesus calls us to see and respond to the least among us, because, as God’s children, we are all part of one another.

Make a choice. God or money, material things, earthly pleasure. This is what Jesus asks us to do in today’s Gospel. The Pharisees and scribes, and many people, want it both ways. God and wealth. But Jesus knows that “no servant can serve two masters.” It is not that wealth is inherently bad, but the pursuit of it to the exclusion of what is good and righteous is. Our faith is meant to guide and shape the way we live. If we are followers of Jesus Christ, we will treat others, especially the poor and vulnerable, fairly and justly. We will live with devotion to God and let our lives speak the truth of God’s love for all. We will put first things first, or more precisely, put God and God’s ways first, assured that when we do, everything else will fall into place.

Imagine being among those who heard Jesus address the Pharisees and scribes in the encounter we hear in today’s Gospel: “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” Would you leave ninety-nine in the desert in order to find one lost sheep? In the parable, Jesus is showing us the depths of God’s love, the illogical, incredible love God has for each of us. Moses counted on this loving mercy as he spoke for the wandering peo-ple; Saint Paul acknowledges his reliance on it in his letter to Timothy. God desires to draw you close, seeking you when you are lost. Are you ready to be drawn into God’s loving embrace?

Today’s readings praise the virtue of humility and offer concrete ways for us to become more humble. The Book of Sirach suggests a practical reason for acting with humility: humble people are more likeable than the arrogant. Even God “finds favor” with those who humble themselves. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus provides real-world suggestions for growing in humility and teaches us never to assume we are better than others. His words change our outward behavior and expand our hearts and minds to care about people we might have dismissed before. This practical, almost “folksy” wisdom about humility helps us behave better in daily life and makes our lofty goal of eternal life more accessible. Our reading from Hebrews affirms that heaven is indeed approachable. The personal love and sacrifice of Jesus have opened “the city of the living God” to us. Humility prepares us for paradise.

Our readings today remind us of the larger story of the Bible, of God’s purposes and promises for the world. Because of humanity’s rejection of God, as told in Genesis, human communities were first dispersed. Isaiah proclaims that one day God will gather these communities to be healed and reconciled with God. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus echoes Isaiah and teaches that all peoples in God’s promised future “will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” Notice that in Isaiah, the nations coming to God do not lose their ethnicity or unique identity. They bring their own distinct cultural gifts to God’s table. Each people has its unique history with God, has received distinct blessings from God, and each is accountable to God. Today, we live in a global and multi-cultural Church. When God’s diverse peoples gather in worship today, may we honor and celebrate each other’s gifts and blessings.

We reflect upon the voice of the prophet in this Sunday’s readings. We hear of the suffering and the rescue of Jeremiah. We hear how Jesus anticipates his suffering and death. As with Jeremiah and Jesus, the prophets were sent by God to the leaders and people of Israel. A prophet is one who speaks truth to the powerful, exposing their darker hidden motives and injustices. The prophet presents a way forward that aligns with God’s purposes. A prophet can force people away from a comfortable neutrality or indifference. The prophet creates an urgency to make a choice: Are we content with the status quo, or are we to changeour ways and pursue a new and better path? Today, we may also ask, how do we identify and respond to prophets of our time? How might we provide a prophetic voice in our Church and in our world?

Our readings today explore how faith begins and how faith works. Faith begins with God’s initiative of love, together with God’s promise about the future. The passage from Hebrews urges readers to have an assured confidence in God, who promised and delivered a lasting legacy to Abraham. The book of Wisdom reminds readers of the God who promised and delivered freedom from slavery during the Exodus. In the Gospel passage from Luke, Jesus begins with the promise that “your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom,” before describing how to live faithfully during times when God seems absent. God’s promises mean that God is fully invested in our future. Living in these promises, we can confidently let go of fear and insecurity. We can anticipate that when God intervenes in our lives, it will be for our benefit. And we can become God’s partners in fulfilling these divine promises.

Today’s readings invite us to reflect upon some of life’s deepest questions, and to explore the meaning of faith. We hear of the universal human search for meaning in our lives in the book of Ecclesiastes. In Luke’s Gospel, we hear Jesus’ parable about one who foolishly seeks ultimate security through the accumulation of wealth. In Colossians, faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ is proclaimed as the path to a richly purposeful and meaningful life. The path of Christian faith places our work, our sufferings, and our limitations within the larger picture of God’s purposes for all of us. In Jesus, God is revealed as our com-panion in human suffering and limitation. God’s love is at the center of a meaningful life. We place our trust in this loving God, who created us to share in this love, and to share this love with others.

Prayer is our focus this weekend. In the Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples, and us, the Lord’s Prayer, which we have cherished through the centuries. The first two words encompass much about our faith--unity among all Christians (Our), and a sense that we are in a deeply bonded relationship with God (Father).

In Genesis, we see Abraham in conversational prayer, in his creaturely humility before his Creator, seeking mercy and compassion for the innocent. The psalm is a lyrical prayer of thanksgiving and praise for the God who answered the sincere prayers of a people who had called out for help, showing them mercy. In Luke’s Gospel, the disciples want to pray like Jesus, with the same intimacy--to experience God as Abba in the depths of their being.

Do we try to talk to God? Do we listen for an-swers? This relationship is always a work in progress.

How do we bring balance and joy to our lives of prayer and service to our loving God? In the Gospel today, Jesus tells Martha that her concern about doing the right thing as dictated by Jewish tradition might not be the best use of her energies. Her sister, Mary, who sits in rapt attention at Jesus’ feet, should not be rebuked. Is Jesus trying to show Martha that she needs to make time for her spiritual nourishment?

Our God is about relationships. In the first reading, Moses reminds the Israelites that the laws, which are already in their hearts, keep them in right relationship with the God who loves them so much that they always find forgiveness. Centu-ries later, along comes Jesus, whom Paul describes to the Colossians as “the image of the invisible God,” the very embodiment of this God of love. In his parable about the good Samaritan, Jesus ex-plains how the law of love overrules the letter of the law. Instead of answering the question “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus demonstrates that it is not about who is worthy of being loved, but rather loving as God loves—about being neighbor, about being the good Samaritan. Jesus wants us to con-tinue his work as images of this God of love by loving all people, even those who seem to be our enemies.

This week, in the midst of summer, the scriptures greet us with joy, peace, mercy, and more peace! Sounds a little like Advent, doesn’t it? We often associate the prophet Isaiah with that preparatory season, and our first reading rings with such words as exult, comfort, and rejoice. The Israelites had reason to rejoice, for they had returned, come home, to a rebuilt Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon.