Jesus simplifies what true righteousness is all about. It is not self-righteousness. And Jesus simplifies what Holiness is all about. Righteousness and Holiness Begin with Humility: “Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This prayer echoes the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Lk. 18:9–14), where the one who acknowledges his need for mercy goes home justified and aware of God's grace.

Persistence in prayer does not necessarily mean long, unending prayer, but heartfelt and confident prayer. In other words, it is not so much the quantity but the quality of our prayers that attracts the attention of God, His mercy, and compassion. Prayer isn’t a tool to manipulate God, but rather a way to align our hearts with His will. When Jesus emphasizes persistence in prayer, it’s not because it bends God’s arm, but because it forms our trust, deepens our faith, and keeps us close to Him. So, we pray: Jesus, we trust in You! Help us not to lose heart (Lk. 18:1).

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us the value of gratitude and how often we forget or take it for granted. It hurts to admit that frequently, we focus on what is missing and forget to thank God for our blessings. One of the most valuable attitudes we can cultivate is gratitude. Let us be grateful for everything and everyone in our lives. Blessed those who make it a practice to say: Thank you, Lord! For everything that life has given, or is giving us, the good or bad, the happiness and sadness, and still free from regrets, worries, fears, and hopelessness. “With gratitude, we shift to a higher frequency, which attracts better things.”

We all experience problems, trials, sufferings, and misfortunes that sometimes lead us to question our faith. Should we not request the Lord for the same appeal: Increase our faith. The disciples asked Jesus sincerely to increase their faith, knowing the weakness of their faith, and aware of their tendency to fear and doubt. The greater our fear, the lesser our faith. The greater our faith, the lesser our worries. Often, we have faith not so much in God, but in our own efforts, skills, or re- sources. In truth, we are still men and women of little faith.

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus offers contrasting life situations, with the rich man as the central character and the recipient of a speaking role. In contrast, the poor Lazarus character serves only as a point of reference for the rich man to draw a lesson from, for him and His listeners during that era. In effect, Jesus warns all the filthy rich of their fate at the end of their lives, like the rich man tormented in the netherworld because he was already comforted in this life.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that we are all stewards of our worldly possessions. That as we journey in life, may we not forget that we are accountable to the creator for these possessions, including our talents and our very lives. In addition, the Gospel reminds us that we are mere stewards of our lives, of everything and everyone in our lives; we are on borrowed time, and God loaned everything to us. The day will come when the Lord will ask an accounting of our stewardship. Lk. 16:2 “Prepare a full account of your stewardship.” There is no such thing as being the sole and permanent owner.

A cross could be a blessing. Every time the priest blesses us, he blesses us with a sign of the cross. Every cross that we carry is a blessing, and every blessing we receive there is a cross.

Why should we be concerned to learn about the things of God? Modern man spends most of their time focused only on the things of this world. They believe that it should be enough for a man. St. John Paul II’s response to this kind of mentality, he explained in his Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris Hominis.

For a Christian, humility is absolutely indispensable. Without it, there is no self-knowledge, no repentance, no faith, and no salvation. Thomas Edison, the famous inventor of the early 20th century, is truly a humble man at heart. This inventor of the phonograph and incandescent lamp once said to his assistant: People call me a great inventor. I’m no inventor worth talking about. When I think that I can’t even build the simplest being that could think and speak, or at least do something on its own, I know that there is only one true inventor. At that, he pointed his finger heavenward.

Like every male Jew, Jesus goes to Jerusalem several times to celebrate the great Jewish feasts. For every male Jew, it is a dream to visit the Temple in Jerusalem upon reaching maturity. They fulfill the commandments (mitzvot) and join in festivals like Passover. The Psalms often sing the words of Yahweh: I will set my king on Zion, my holy mountain. Zion is called the fairest of all the heights and the joy of all the earth. The only Temple of the Jewish religion stands on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. People from all over the world long to go there to worship and offer sacrifices to the one true God. Jesus also travels to Jerusalem. One day, He would give his life there.

I come to set the earth on fire. Fire symbolizes many things: First, there are destructive fires that cause significant damage to property, homes, buildings, and other structures. And forest fires, like the Dragon Bravo Forest Fire at Grand Canyon National Park, which started on the 4th of July, 2025, and has burned approximately 141,000 acres. It is now the largest wildfire in the Grand Canyon area managed by firefighters. Second, the benefits of fire for cooking food for the hungry, providing heat for those in the cold, purifying waters, and giving light to homes where there is no electricity. Lastly, fire ignites combustion engines that help transport people and material goods. But the fire that the Lord speaks of is the radical decision to change our life’s direction, the fire in the heart of the believer.

On many occasions in the Gospel, the Lord teaches His disciples about vigilance, for the coming of God, or against thieves or those who want to harm God’s people. But this watchfulness should be translated into one’s spirit of prayer and the constancy of one’s faith.

After an interruption from someone in the crowd, Jesus shifts the focus of His teaching - from not being afraid of persecution to not worrying about provisions for the future.

Jesus makes this point in the Parable of the Rich Fool, found only in the Gospel of Luke. He warns them of the predicament of the rich man and about the danger of greed. When one focuses only on material wealth, it leads to self-absorption. We need to trust God - He will provide. Trust our past to God’s mercy. Trust our present to God’s love and trust our future to God’s providence. The idea of “growing rich” for ourselves is deceptive, as Scripture exposes. So, try or strive to grow rich in the sight of God, which leads to a joyful and peaceful way of life.