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27-Aug-2007
Dear Friend,
Often we find that we compare ourselves with others and usually we believe we
are better than others. Consequently we expect better treatment, more
privileges and special places of honour for ourselves! We are following worldly
protocol but God has other standards and challenges us to be honest and humble
in our every day dealings. To be humble is to have a true assessment of
ourselves before God and others. Be grateful to God for his unmerited gifts and
blessings! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Twenty-second Sunday Humble of Heart 2-Sep-07
Readings: Ecclesiasticus 3: 17-20.28-29; Hebrews 12: 18-19.22-24-7;Luke 14:
1.7-14;
The first reading from the book of Sirach is a lesson on humility. While
pride is the deadliest of the seven deadly sins, because it is founded on
falsehood which destroys ourselves and those around us, humility is perhaps the
most characteristic of Christian virtues. The humble person finds favour with
God not because that favour is a reward for humility, but because humility,
like faith, means abandoning self-assertion, all trust in oneself, and allowing
God to act where we can do nothing.
Humility is truth
William Carey, the great missionary of India, was a very humble man despite
his great linguistic skills and botanical achievements. He had translated the
Bible into several Indian languages. The intellectuals and men of high
positions in Calcutta recognized him. On one occasion the Governor General of
India invited him to a party. As they sat around the table, one of the invitees
asked another whether this was the Carey who was once a shoemaker. Carey
overheard this comment and turned to the person and said, in all humility, No,
Sir, I was only a cobbler.
John Rose in Johns Sunday Homilies
In the second reading from Hebrews the author reminds Christians that while
at Sinai God revealed himself in power and glory and might, in the Church of
Jesus Christ, God introduces us as members of his family into intimacy with
him, and makes possible communion with him through humility and love. It
presents a contrast between the law and the Gospel, between Mt. Sinai and Mount
Zion. Coming to this mountain is a favour the Lord grants to the humble of
heart.
Self-Effacing Humility
One type of humility is self-effacement the habit of doing good deeds, or
indeed just daily work, secretly and anonymously, without expecting thanks. A
good example of that is a teacher, who in preparation for Thanksgiving Day
asked her class of first graders to draw a picture of something for which they
were thankful. She thought of how little these children from their poor
neighbourhood had. She imagined that most of them would draw pictures of
turkeys or tables of food. But the teacher was taken aback with the picture
little Douglas handed in -a childishly drawn hand. The teacher showed it to the
class to decide whose hand it was. I think it must be the hand of God that
brings us food, said one child. A farmer, said another, because he grows
the turkeys. When the others were at work, the teacher bent over Douglas desk
and asked whose hand it was. It is your hand, teacher, he mumbled. It was
only then that she recalled that frequently at recess she had taken
Douglas, a scrubby forlorn child by the hand. She often did that with the
children; it had obviously meant a lot to Douglas. For herself, she was
grateful for the chance, in whatever small way, to give self-effacedly to
others.
Harold Buetow in God Still Speaks: Listen!
In todays Gospel Jesus is at a meal in the house of one of the leading
Pharisees. He notices the undignified scramble for the places of honour and is
moved to comment on what he sees through a parable. The parable looks like a
bit of prudential advice on how to behave at a dinner party so as to avoid
embarrassment. But since it is a parable one need not take it at face value,
as a piece of worldly wisdom or even as a lesson in humility. It deals rather
with an aspect of ones relationship with God. God in the person of Jesus
Christ is inviting all peoples to the messianic feast. The only way to respond
to the invitation is to renounce any claim or merit of ones own. The Pharisees
expected the best seats in the banquet for keeping the Torah, but like the
outcaste, they have to learn that salvation is an unmerited gift freely given
and humbly to be accepted. Our acceptance at the heavenly banquet will depend
not on our merit or good deeds but on our acceptance of others
now. Humility in a Christian sense is not a purely passive virtue; like faith,
to which it is closely akin, it is highly active.
Humility speaks in Silence!
For a lady traveler it was a pleasant journey by train from New York to
Philadelphia as there was only one more passenger besides her. Her co-passenger
was rather a heavy-set man. But her joy of comfort was disturbed when the man
lit a cigar and started smoking. The lady deliberately coughed and showed an
unpleasant face. Nothing worked. He continued to smoke. Then she blurted out,
You might be a foreigner. But dont you know that there is a smoking car
ahead. Smoking is prohibited here. The man quietly threw his cigar out of the
window and maintained his equanimity. When the conductor came to examine the
tickets the lady passenger realized with horror that her co-passenger was the
famous General Ulysses Grant. She had boarded his private car by mistake. As
the lady made a hasty exit the General did not even look at her so as not to
embarrass her. He turned his head and smiled only after the lady was out of
sight. Great humility is displayed by stronger men. Humility
comes from strength.
G. Francis Xavier in Inspiring Stories
We cherish the word banquet. It conjurers up pictures of genial
banquet-givers, special guests who make pleasant company, and food to be
relished. We see a head table and tables for those of lesser honour. Usually we
know who will be seated at the head table and why. Everyone at the banquet is
invited. Today Jesus challenges our usual picture of banquets. He invites
guests; and his invitation a sheer gift, is his call to discipleship. Jesus
issues his invitation to all of us. We can neither earn it nor demand it.
Neither can we make any claim to the places of honour. And the head table
guests are not those society recognizes for their great accomplishments: they
hold no positions of authority, nor do they live privileged lives. Instead they
are the people who live the gospel in their daily lives; the underprivileged,
those who work for justice, peace and honesty, those who care for one another
and for the universe. They are people who fearlessly search for ways to make
the world a place where all can share every gift of Gods creation. These
people may surprise us, but they too, will be surprised, for they are not
accustomed to being guests at the head table. -Carmel MacDonald
Inflated Ego
Some time ago in Florida, the St Petersburg Times carried an interesting
story about Don Shula, the coach of the Miami Dolphins, vacationing with is
family in a small town in northern Maine. One afternoon it was raining and so
Shula, his wife and his five children decided to attend a matinee movie in the
towns only theatre. When they arrived the house lights were still on in the
theatre, where there were only six other people present. When Shula and his
family walked in, all six people stood up and applauded. He waved and smiled.
As Shula sat down he turned to his wife and said, Were thousands of miles
from Miami and they are giving me a standing ovation. They must get the
Dolphins on television all the way up here. Then a man came to shake Don
Shulas hand. Shula beamed and said, How did you recognize me? The man
replied, Mister, I dont know who you are. All I know is just before you and
your family walked in the theatre manager told us that unless four more
people turned up we wouldnt have a movie today.
Mark Link in Sunday Homilies
May we live in humility, never considering ourselves superior to others!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
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