22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C
SIGNS OF HUMILITY
LK 14: 7-14
MESSAGE
A student sent a message to his teacher: Great sir, may I visit you in your office today? The teacher replied: You are the greater one I suppose, for I as your teacher, am always at your service.
The Lord Jesus shines a spotlight on the untrodden path of genuine humility. First he invites us to start imbibing humility in our minds, in our attitudes, and in our reasoning. People may appear to be humble but internally, they are really full of a sense of superior intellect, expertise, or advantage over others. This is the beginning of entitlement, a modern problem that destroys many harmonious relationships. To think humbly of oneself is to either put yourself at par with your neighbor or at their service, leaving no room for personal selfish motives.
Then the Lord points to another expression of a humble heart: invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. What does this mean? It is a mandate to cross to the other side of the road and meet people in the margins. Humility is not merely an affective virtue but an effective and performative habit of the heart. Like Jesus, we are called to accept our connection with those who have less resources and have more suffering, with those who have less recognition and have more disregard in this world. They are part of us and we are part of their lives.
REFLECT
This week, let us ask the grace to pursue the humble heart of Christ. Lord Jesus, teach us how to be truly humble. Touch our minds to see that we are as small as the smallest among us; open our hearts that we may share our lives with those who need our help, understanding and love. Amen.
