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Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Appearances can be deceiving. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck … it ought to be a duck, right? But what if instead it’s a chicken with an identity disorder pretending to be a duck for motives we will never truly understand? I guess it doesn’t have to be such a big deal, unless you’re not in a chicken sort of mood and had ordered vegetarian instead. Identity disorders aside, our perception of reality is nothing more than that, a perception. Our ability to understand ourselves and the world around us is extremely dependent on the gathering of sensory data. Unless our sense receptors are diseased or defective, unless external conditions like poor visibility and noise interferes with our senses, we learn to trust our own eyes and ears. We have every reason to believe they will always tell us the truth. So, with great care, we make every effort to witness to the truth as faithfully and objectively as we are able. Unless it is our intent to purposely distort reality or deceive others, we have simply to be just as we are and trust all the evidence will point persuasively to the truth.

We will recall how our parents, grandparents, and teachers would tell us to speak the truth always even if we get in trouble. We have found ourselves in such a predicament at least once in our lives. We know how an untruth sustains its existence by spawning other untruths, how innuendo generates gossip, how bad impressions linger well beyond that first encounter. But once the truth is revealed, there no longer remains any need to make up excuses or feign ignorance. We can lower our defenses and breathe easier. And yet there are some who would prefer the unsettling feeling that accompanies deception, the excitement of not being discovered, the rush that comes from getting away with fraud. It is unfortunate that there are people who put more energy and resources into committing deception and fraud than they might put in advancing truth. And when we are less concerned about the truth, we forget the third observer who often goes unnoticed. We forget that God sees and is not deceived.

It takes little effort to concern ourselves with the truth concerning other people and circumstances that do not involve us. How many of us are not amused by the gossip rags at the check-out counter at the grocery store? “The father of my child is an alien from Mars.” “Elvis writes three new hit songs through a Tennessee grandmother.” “Chesapeake VA to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.” We are entertained by tabloid journalism, but we see it more as a distraction rather than truth. The high regard once bestowed upon the printed word has since been revoked and granted to radio, then television, and now the internet. Unfortunately, truth is often a casualty in this pursuit. Sometimes other objectives tend to be more highly prized, objectives like personal gain or popularity or the destruction of an opponent’s reputation. It might happen when a relationship ends badly. It happens when large corporations try to drive away the competition. It happens during election season and beyond. Nowadays misinformation and untruth are more common than ever. Skepticism can be a healthy thing.

But what is so unsettling about the truth? Jesus tells us the truth will set us free. And we all understand freedom is not cheap. But are we willing to do what is necessary and even endure hardship and sacrifice to obtain that freedom?

The passage we read from the book of Sirach advises us to be content with who we are, assuming we know who we are. “Conduct your affairs with humility. Seek not what is too sublime. Search not things beyond your strength.” If we truly know our own selves, if we truly know our strengths and limitations, if we truly know our place in God’s wonderful plan, we would concern ourselves less with cutting down our competitors or appearing better than we really are. Perhaps we would pay greater attention to things that mattered more according to the gospel, like humility and honesty and integrity and genuine respect for other people.

The gospel passage presents us another scenario involving humility with seemingly more concrete application. Don’t assume you are the guest of honor when invited to a banquet. Don’t think too highly of yourself. It is more honorable to choose the lowest place and then be invited by the host to a more prestigious seat. The honor is greater when bestowed by someone else than when we assume it for ourselves. Is humility the real reason why the back seats in church fill up faster than the front seats? If it’s access to the restrooms, I understand. But what if it’s because the back seats are closer to the coffee and donuts, closer to the parking lot and a quick get away, closer to something else we hold to be of greater importance than what’s up front? But hey, you do you. My only objective is to cause the appropriate amount of discomfort so you get to think about the real reason you do whatever it is you do.

What is most disturbing in scripture today is Jesus’ unapologetic challenge to our culture and way of life. If you desire above all to impress your neighbor, it’s no surprise God isn’t as impressed. If you are kind only to those who are kind to you, you haven’t done anything everybody else isn’t already doing. Extend kindness to those unable to extend kindness back. Give without expecting anything in return. It is important to note that Jesus does not ask of us more than he himself has done, he who sought out the poor, the weak, the outcast, the sinner, and extended to them God’s abundance, God’s strength, God’s hospitality, God’s compassion.

To be humble is to be grounded in the truth. The word “humility” comes from the word “humus,” earth. Authentic grounding in the truth requires first and foremost a recognition of one’s own worth, one’s dignity and gifts and talents, as well as one’s weakness and limitations. When we come to know who we are and appreciate our unique relationship with God and all creation, we will need not ever resort to pretense or fraud. We will not ever feel the need to impress those we like or put down those we dislike. We will be willing to accept our mistakes and honestly seek to improve. We will challenge ourselves to excel and be more compassionate toward those who struggle.

I remember something I heard in college that made me think. “Put no trust in a person who has to change their tone of voice when speaking to God.” We may fool some people some of the time, but God all-knowing we will fool not at all. So, if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, God who reads our hearts and minds without obstruction, will not be deceived. Instead, we should put greater effort toward embracing the truth and allowing it to guide our way.

Rolo B Castillo © 2025