REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr James McTavish FMVD

“Those who humble themselves will be exalted”

There is a military motto that runs “Hard to be humble”. It seems that to be humble is not in fashion. Perhaps it can help to know what it really means to be humble. The best martial artists agree for example that you should know your weak spots. True humility is connected with self-knowledge. That great fighter of spiritual battles, St Theresa of Avila, defined humility as “caminar en la verdad’ and for those of you who know Spanish will realise that it is ‘to walk in the truth’. Humility is not just to think badly of yourself, to put yourself down – these can actually be manifestations of pride! I felt a little sorry for Venus Raj, the Philippines contestant in the recent Miss Universe contest. When asked what had been her biggest mistake in life, the 22 year old replied that she had never made any ‘major, major’ mistakes. Perhaps it is true but the judges did not like it. She was criticised for being ‘proud’ but maybe she was actually being humble! Perhaps for an average 22 year old in the States it would be unthinkable to reach the grand old age of 22 without a major crisis but perhaps for the Filipina living a simple life her experience is different. What one culture would recognize as humility another culture will call pride!

So what does it mean to be humble then? In the first reading today we have the following counsel “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.” (See Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29) God has a soft spot for those who are humble! Scripture tells us that God resists the proud but assists the lowly.

The Saints can help us to grow in humility. St Alphonsus Liguori, the Patron of Moral theology, gives 4 ways to remain humble. Firstly to have a horror of pride. Pride manifests in many ways such as in justifications, in premature judgments, feeling superior and thinking we are better than others. The devil has no fear of the proud. Secondly, it is necessary to guard against glorying in any good. St. Francis was accustomed to say ‘Lord! if you givest any good, watch over it; otherwise I will steal it from you!’ Thirdly we must distrust ourselves especially when we seem to grow in admiration of others or in worldly estimation with their career or studies and learning. Cardinal Bellarmine once wrote to one of his nephews saying that it is difficult for a man of learning to be humble, not to despise others, not to censure their acts, not to be full of his own opinions; he will hardly submit willingly to the judgment and correction of others. Finally it is important to accept humiliations. St. Gregory remarks, that many say with the tongue that they are sinners, that they are wicked, and deserving of every species of contempt; but they do not believe what they say, for when despised or reproved by others they are disturbed. "Many," says St. Ambrose, "have the appearance of humility, but not the virtue of humility.”

In the gospel Jesus speaks clearly “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” He is invited to a banquet and tells the guests not to choose the best seats (as he spotted them doing this). Jesus is quite courageous to speak out! He tells them instead to choose the lower seats and await the privilege of being asked to move to better seats by the host. It is not that to sit in the better seat is necessarily wrong – just look at the way people fight to get the last remaining seat on a bus but how great that you are respected not for your seat, or position or title but because you treat others with dignity and respect. How many people thrive and survive off their reputations alone. They reminisce about who they were but don’t realize how far they have fallen. Humility is a virtue that allows one to treat others well. Look at those around you – is there a sense of belonging of family? Humility creates communion whereas pride destroys it. In taking the better seat take care that I am not saying that I am better than you. What do we have that we have not first received?

Jesus teaches the guests how to gain real merit in God’s eyes because taking the best seat is often to only seek merit in the eyes of man. Jesus tells them that if they have a banquet they should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. These are precisely those who cannot pay back but Jesus assures that he will be the one who will repay all good deeds at the resurrection of the righteous.