LESSON ON HUMILITY (HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 30TH WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II

Homily for Saturday of the 30th Week in the Ordinary Time

Philippians 1:18b-26; Luke 14:1,7-11

It is said that a rejoicing heart soon makes a praising tongue. The First Reading of today from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians. St. Paul begins our First Reading with the need to rejoice. What is the cause of his rejoicing? He tells us in the First Reading: "Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I shall rejoice" (Phil.1:18). It does not matter who proclaims Christ, the most important thing is for Paul to rejoice once Christ is proclaimed.

This too should be a source of rejoicing too for every Christian. Our rejoicing must know no bounds because through the proclamation of Christ in the world we are granted the grace of transformation by which Chris is honoured in our bodies, as we turn away from sin and as such we can declare with St. Paul: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil.1:21).

Christ Jesus, the source of our rejoicing teaches us a lesson on humility in today's Gospel. This happened on an occasion of one of the Pharisees who invited him for a dinner. The invited guests were no doubt over-anxious as to who would get the better seats. Jesus took notice of their concern. He probably waited for the conclusion of the meal before leading the conversation to a higher plane. He concluded the conversation by saying: "For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).

St. James tells us that "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). St. John Chrysostom once remarked that humility is the root, mother, nurse, foundation and bond of all virtues. St. Francis de Sales has written: "Humility and charity are the principal virtues. They act as mother hens while the other virtues follow them like little chicks". Conversely, pride is the mother and root of every sin. It is the greatest single obstacle to the action of divine grace. St. Augustine once said that "it was pride that made angels into devil but it is humility that makes men as angels".

We must be conscious that God sees all our actions, the great and the small. We must learn to humble ourselves if we want God to exalt us. Humility teaches us to discover that everything we have that is good comes from God, both in the order of nature and in the order of grace. The humble person is daring because he/she counts upon the grace of God. He/she prays every time because one is convinced of his/her radical dependence on God.

Our Lady teaches us the way of humility. She said at the Annunciation: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). And in the Magnificat: "He (God) has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1:48).

Anyone who wishes to enter God's kingdom must be humble. One must make himself/herself small and avoid all false, self-righteous claims. Lowliness is the first condition for admission into the kingdom of God.

May God grant us the virtue of humility through Christ our Lord. Amen.