Rev Fr. A. Christopher, HGN

22nd Sunday of the Year – C
Sir 3:17-18,28-29 Heb 12:18-19,22-24 Lk 14:1,7-14

Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is the need for true humility and the blessedness of generous sharing with the needy. The readings warn us against all forms of pride and self-glorification. They present humility not only as a virtue but also as a means of opening our hearts, our minds and our hands to the poor, the needy, the disadvantaged and the marginalized of society. For Jesus, the daily human needs of the poor are the personal responsibility of every authentic, humble believer. The first reading, from the book of Sirach, reminds us that if we are humble, we will find favour with God, and others will love us. The second reading, from Hebrews, gives another reason for us to be humble. Jesus was humble, so his followers are expected to be humble, trying to imitate his humility. Paul reminds us that Jesus was lowly, particularly in his suffering and death for our salvation (Heb 2:5-18), so we should be like him, that we may be exalted with him at the resurrection of the righteous. Paul seems to imply that we have to follow Christ’s example of humility in our relationships with the less fortunate members of our society. In today’s gospel Jesus explains the practical benefits of humility, connecting it with the common wisdom about dining etiquette (see Prov. 25:6-7; Sir. 3:17-20). Jesus advises the guests to go to the lowest place instead of seeking places of honour so that the host may give them the place they deserve. Jesus’ words concerning the seating of guests at a wedding banquet should prompt us to honour those whom others ignore, because if we are generous and just in our dealings with those in need, we can be confident of the Lord’s blessings. On the other hand, if we act out of pride and selfishness, we can be sure that our efforts will come to nothing.

Most Rev. Paul-Émile Léger served as Archbishop of Montreal from 1950 to 1968, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 by Pope Pius XII. He was one of the most powerful men in Canada and within the Catholic Church. He was a man of deep conviction and humility. Then on April 20, 1968 he resigned and laid aside his red vestments, crosier, mitre, and pallium in his office at Montreal and disappeared. Years later he was found living among the lepers and disabled, outcasts of a small African village. When a Canadian journalist asked him, "Why?," here is what Cardinal Léger had to say, "It will be the great scandal of the history of our century that 600 million people are eating well and living luxuriously and three billion people starve, and every year millions of children are dying of hunger. I am too old to change all that. The only thing I can do which makes sense is to be present. I must simply be in the midst of them. So, just tell people in Canada that you met an old priest. I am a priest who is happy to be old and still a priest and among those who suffer. I am happy to be here and to take them into my heart." (Barry Robinson, http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/a-or09-2-keeping.php.) Is that your calling? Is it mine? Probably not. Today’s gospel says: “Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Dear Friends, there is a journey we all have to make, the journey from pride to humility. Genuine humility is not something forced from outside. True humility is one’s own personal recognition of one’s true status before God. It is wise to stay humble, lest we stumble. But most often many of us lack this true humility.

Let’s probe this lack of humility a little more. Why would someone want to exalt himself/herself or, in the language of Jesus’ parable in the Gospel today, want the best place at table? One reason could be feeling inferior to others or lacking self-confidence. They try to compensate by exalting themselves. A proverb from somewhere in Asia is good; it says, “Don’t make yourself so high, you are not so low.” In other words, “Don’t boast or be snobbish, you are not so inferior that you have to compensate by looking down on someone else.”

The solution to the problem of feeling inferior to others or lacking in self-confidence is not in boasting or behaving like a snob or demanding the top place at the table. The solution is in recognizing that we receive our value from God and not from others’ opinions of us.

So the problem of pride or lack of humility is not really the problem. The problem is one layer deeper, forgetting that since baptism we are all sons and daughters of God, forgetting that we, by ourselves, are not capable of saving ourselves and are saved only by the death of Jesus. We have all been purchased by Jesus for the Father at the greatest price. We all cost the greatest price; that price is the life and death of Jesus. That is the only thing we can boast of, and nothing else. We are worth the life of Jesus! And so also is the person next to you, behind you, in front of you. So we are all equally precious.

Our model in humility is Jesus. Let us look at him closely now. When God became man, he chose to occupy the lowest possible seat. Paul described in Phil. 2:7-8, the six steps in humility that God took in coming to this earth. "Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." Humility was Jesus’ favourite theme. "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." "Whoever humbles himself like a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of God." "Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart." Humility is a strange phenomenon. As a rule, when we discover we have it, we lose it. Humility is like a rare flower -- put it on display and it instantly wilts and loses its fragrance! St. Augustine said: "Humility is so necessary for Christian perfection that among all the ways to reach perfection, humility is first, humility is second, and humility is third." He added, "Humility makes men angels, and pride makes angels devils." St. Bernard declared, "Pride sends man from the highest elevation to the lowest abyss, but humility raises him from the lowest abyss to the highest elevation."

Dear friends, pride goes before destruction and hence must be kept deflated. A big truck got struck under a low overhead bridge. Nobody knew what to do, until a small boy suggested that they let the air out of the tyres. This done, the truck, now a couple of inches lower, grazed through. A bit of deflation can help us all at times.

There is a prayer that is a difficult prayer to pray. It is called the Litany of Humility. As it is a long litany the following are only excerpts:

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honoured,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

The litany continues

From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

The second part of the prayer is even more difficult to pray:

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

I am sure you will agree that it is a difficult prayer to pray if we really mean it. The Litany of Humility is a prayer that we could do with praying and practicing. Let us humbly accept that there is a little bit of the Pharisees in each of us, perhaps more in some than others, which we should really get rid off with the help of the grace of God.

Dear Friends, there is a journey we all have to make, the journey from pride to humility. Genuine humility is not something forced from outside. True humility is one’s own personal recognition of one’s true status before God. It is wise to stay humble, lest we stumble.
AMEN.

Fr. A. Christopher, HGN