The Extra Meisl: Sunday Gospel Reflections

Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” reminds us that gratitude isn’t naïve. It is  a choice to see the good even amid struggle. The grateful Samaritan in the Gospel shows that thanksgiving brings not only healing of the body but also of the heart. When we choose gratitude and become people others are grateful for, we don’t just see a wonderful world, we help create one.

28 Sunday ordinary time

God calls each of us to let His love and light shine through us, even when we feel ordinary or inadequate. Like Habakkuk, Timothy, and Paul, we are reminded that God works through our weakness, not in spite of it. Even if we aren’t stars, the Holy Spirit enables us to shine brightly in the world around us.

The Gospel challenges us not only to see the suffering around us but to judge rightly what it means and to act with compassion. The rich man saw Lazarus but failed to recognize his need or respond, missing the mark of love. Like a skilled archer, we are called to see clearly, judge wisely, and act courageously, guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross reminds us that what was once an instrument of shame and death has been transformed by Christ into the tree of life and source of salvation. Marked with the Cross at baptism, we carry it as the core of our Christian identity, a sign of hope, service, and strength in suffering. Each time we make the Sign of the Cross, we proclaim that through Jesus’ love, death is conquered and life is given.

The Exaltation of the Cross

Saints are not distant figures from the past but people who lived ordinary lives, even enjoying things like video games and mountain climbing, while keeping Christ at the center. Jesus calls us to root our identity not in family, career, or possessions, but in being his disciples through baptism and the cross. Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis show us how a life grounded in Christ gives meaning and direction to everything else.

 

In today’s Gospel (Luke 14:1, 7–14), Jesus links humility with true hospitality. Real humility isn’t pretending we are worthless, but learning to think of ourselves less—turning outward in love. True hospitality welcomes those who cannot repay us, affirming their dignity as children of God. At the Eucharist, Christ gives us this perfect example: he makes room for us at his table, giving a gift we could never repay, and sends us out to extend the same welcome to others.

 

22 Sunday of Ordinary Time, year C, Luke 14:1, 7–14

Today’s Gospel reminds us that salvation isn’t automatic just because we belong to the right group or community. Entry into God’s kingdom is not about having a “pass,” but about whether Christ recognizes his own love, mercy, and service alive in us. Belonging to the Church helps, but each of us must personally choose to follow Christ through the narrow gate of faith and discipleship.

 

Jesus calls us to live each day prepared to meet Him, like servants waiting for their master’s return. St. Polycarp’s lifelong faithfulness and the daily habits of the early Christians show us that readiness comes from steady prayer, worship, and acts of love. By keeping our hearts in “spiritual sports mode,” we can welcome Christ with joy whenever He comes.

 

Jesus reminds us that while material needs are real and pressing—especially in a city like Vancouver—they must not become our ultimate concern. Like the ghost towns left behind after the gold rush, worldly treasures don’t last. True riches are found in what we give away: love, service, and relationships that endure into eternity.

 

The Our Father isn’t just a set of words we repeat—it’s a prayer that slowly forms our hearts and reshapes our lives. Like a parent saying “I love you” each night, its repetition is meant to ground us in relationship, awe, mission, trust, forgiveness, and hope. Each phrase draws us deeper into what it means to live as children of God and builders of His kingdom.