In the Spirit of Feria IV after the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
In the liturgical calendar of the Traditional Roman Rite, the readings following the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost offer a deep meditation on humility, divine strength, and the mystery of God’s love. The Epistle reading from Ephesians 3:13-21 and the Gospel from Luke 14:1-11 are particularly fitting as we journey further into this season, inviting us to consider both the richness of God’s grace and the humility necessary to live in His presence.
Ephesians 3:13-21 — Rooted in the Love of Christ
In this passage, St. Paul urges the Ephesians not to lose heart at his tribulations, which are for their glory (Eph. 3:13). He then prays that they be “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Eph. 3:16), that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith, and that they might be rooted and grounded in love. The climax of his prayer is a profound meditation on the mystery of God’s love, a love that surpasses knowledge, filling us with the fullness of God Himself.
The great Church Fathers provide deep insights into this passage. St. John Chrysostom, in his homily on Ephesians, highlights how Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is one of spiritual ascent. He points out that Paul begins by asking that the believers be “strengthened” in their inner being, not by human power, but by the Holy Spirit. This divine strengthening is necessary for Christ to take up residence in their hearts through faith. Chrysostom emphasizes that this indwelling is the very key to understanding the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love—a love so vast it cannot be comprehended by reason alone but can only be grasped through a heart transformed by grace.
St. Gregory the Great similarly reflects on this mystery, underscoring that divine love, when rooted in the soul, expands the believer’s capacity to understand God’s ineffable majesty. He writes, “The more a soul loves, the more it desires to know what it loves; and the more it knows, the more it loves.” Here, St. Gregory echoes St. Paul’s teaching that the love of Christ “surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:19), pointing out that love itself becomes the vehicle through which divine mysteries are grasped—not through intellectual inquiry, but through a heart fully surrendered to God.
This passage, then, becomes an invitation for us to ponder the depths of God’s love in our own lives. Are we truly rooted and grounded in His love? Do we allow Christ to dwell fully within our hearts, transforming us from within? As St. Paul prays for the Ephesians, so too must we seek the strength of the Holy Spirit to comprehend, even in part, the great mystery of God’s love for us.
Luke 14:1-11 — The Path of Humility
In the Gospel reading from Luke 14, we find Christ dining at the house of a Pharisee on the Sabbath. Noticing how the guests sought the places of honor at the table, He offers them a parable about humility, instructing them to choose the lowest place when invited to a feast. “For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11).
The parable speaks directly to the virtue of humility, which the Church Fathers consistently hold as foundational for the spiritual life. St. Augustine, in his homily on this Gospel passage, emphasizes that true humility is the only way to ascend spiritually. He writes, “Pride seeks to elevate itself but, in doing so, falls; humility lowers itself but, in doing so, rises.” The Pharisees sought honor in their religious and social circles, but Christ teaches that it