Reading 1
My child, conduct
your affairs with humility,
and you will be
loved more than a giver of gifts.
Humble yourself the
more, the greater you are,
and you will find
favor with God.
What is too sublime
for you, seek not,
into things beyond
your strength search not.
The mind of a sage
appreciates proverbs,
and an attentive
ear is the joy of the wise.
Water quenches a
flaming fire,
and alms atone for
sins.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 11b) God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
The just rejoice
and exult before God;
they are glad and
rejoice.
Sing to God, chant
praise to his name;
whose name is the
LORD.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
The father of
orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy
dwelling.
God gives a home to
the forsaken;
he leads forth
prisoners to prosperity.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
A bountiful rain you
showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;
you restored the
land when it languished;
your flock settled
in it;
in your goodness, O
God, you provided it for the needy.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
Reading 2
Brothers and
sisters:
You have not
approached that which could be touched
and a blazing fire
and gloomy darkness
and storm and a
trumpet blast
and a voice
speaking words such that those who heard
begged that no
message be further addressed to them.
No, you have
approached Mount Zion
and the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and countless
angels in festal gathering,
and the assembly of
the firstborn enrolled in heaven,
and God the judge
of all,
and the spirits of
the just made perfect,
and Jesus, the
mediator of a new covenant,
and the sprinkled
blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.
Gospel
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one
of the leading Pharisees,
and the people
there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable
to those who had been invited,
noticing how they
were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are
invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at
table in the place of honor.
A more
distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who
invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to
this man,’
and then you would
proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest
place.
Rather, when you
are invited,
go and take the
lowest place
so that when the
host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up
to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy
the esteem of your companions at the table.
For every one who
exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who
humbles himself will be exalted.”
Then he said to the
host who invited him,
“When you hold a
lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your
friends or your brothers
or your relatives
or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may
invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you
hold a banquet,
invite the poor,
the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will
you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be
repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Theme for
reflection: Humility
Humility is the key and strongest theme in the
readings of today.
Who is a humble man?
A term that is so very difficult to define, even by
the dictionaries of the world.
Shall we then say that he is the one who is aware of
his real worth, even if the whole world were to applaud him or eulogize him?
That definition of mine I believe is true and yet
disputable and the key dispute is this: How do we know our real self worth,
will we not be deceptively believing what we should not believe?
Yet it cannot make the definition wrong. Humans may come to a certain level of
understanding their self-worth if they are true to themselves but never the complete awareness if they are on their own.
Our self worth can be, to a large extent, be
understood in the light of the mirror of grace which God provides in his Son
Jesus and in his presence.
If anyone has
achieved something in life and has a reason to pride then they have only to
look at Jesus and his achievements, especially reflecting on the cross in
totality; there was nothing impossible with him and yet what was needed of him he did.
Hence the cross of Jesus is the greatest medicine for human pride
and to grow in the ultimate humility, even a child like humility which makes
one dependent on God, just as Jesus did, even unto the cross.
If the greatest ever virtue is humility, then all of
mankind, if only they sought this one virtue in and through the cross of Jesus
then the world would have been a different place to live in.
This virtue doesn't take away from your talent, the
gifts that God has given each one but what it does is this; allow each one to
use his gifts in true humility of heart and mind.
This humility takes further root in us when we in this
reflection on the cross makes one realize one’s sinfulness and unworthiness before
a God who is all powerful, almighty and holy and we are mere creatures whom he
loves and accepts in spite of our sinfulness- sinfulness that crucified the innocent and sinless one.
In the gospel instruction on humility which Jesus gives, we
could have humble people according to the ways of the world, because Jesus has
instructed us thus in the parable on how to conduct ourselves:
Thus we have humble practitioners in the church who
may take the last seat in the church and feel justified about it in the light
of the parable.
We could have self-effacing individuals who may not
play any roles of significant value in the church.
We could have people who may not want to use their talents
and gifts to further his kingdom or be a witness or proclaim his gospel.
But when they have to go for the spiritual banquet,
i.e. into God’s presence in prayer, they may be in the forefront, with their mind
distracted and busy planning the many moves rather than allowing God to invite
them closer to his heart and reveal plans for them. .
It is only our humility before the all powerful God that will keep
us humble even among his creatures.
Therefore let the preacher strongly exhort, after
making attempts to practice it themselves; “Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may
exalt you.” 1 Peter 5:6 (Jas.
4:10)
"For
every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will
be exalted." Luke 14:11
- Some additional scripture verses for reflection and use:
"Thus says the
Lord, the God of the Hebrews, 'How
long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Ex 10:3
If you return to
the Almighty and humble yourself, if
you remove unrighteousness far from your tents….. then you will
delight yourself in the Almighty, and lift up your
face to God. You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you; and
you will pay your vows. You will decide on a matter, and it will be established
for you, and light will shine on your ways. For God abases the proud, but
he saves the lowly. Job
22:23, 26-29
