THE AFFLICTION OF THE PROUD HAS NO HEALING (22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C) скачать в хорошем качестве

THE AFFLICTION OF THE PROUD HAS NO HEALING (22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C)

“The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so, you will find favour in the sight of the Lord… The affliction of the proud has no healing, for a plant of wickedness has taken root in him.” (Sirach 3:18 & 28) Last Sunday, Jesus taught us to strive to enter heaven through the Narrow Door. Today, Jesus was invited to dine in the house of a Pharisee (the same people that Jesus heavily criticised for their hypocrisy). As always, Jesus took advantage of the occasion to teach two powerful lessons: humility and feeding the poor. Just as one will be required to bend and squeeze to fit through the narrow door, Jesus’ call for humility requires that we purge every atom of pride to be small enough for the narrow door. So, the real question before us today is: “What exactly does it mean to be humble?” or “How do I know if I am proud or if it is just self-esteem?” Lesson One: What Exactly is Humility? Humility cannot be faked; it is not something we do, but rather who we are. Humility extends beyond taking a back seat on various occasions; it is knowing our true worth yet giving God and others their due. There are two dimensions of humility: God-centred humility and People-centred humility. A. God-Centred Humility. umility is giving God reverence; it is coming to terms with our nothingness before God, our creator. Humility is channelling the praises we often receive from others to God as the source of our talents, our riches, and, in fact, everything good in our lives. It is ensuring that we do not take the glory that rightfully belongs to God. B. People-Centred Humility. This refers to how we treat those we perceive as being inferior to us in any way. In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul warns, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but IN HUMILITY REGARD OTHERS AS BETTER THAN YOURSELVES. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:3-8). Lesson Two: How do I know if I am proud? In his book “The Way”, St. Josemaria Escriva beautifully answers this question when he wrote: “You are humble not when you humble yourself, but when others humble you and you bear it for Christ.” (The Way 594). The litmus test for humility is how you react when you are disgraced, falsely accused, insulted or humiliated in public. According to St. Josemaria, “If you knew yourself, you would find joy in being despised and your heart would weep before honours and praise… Don’t forget that you are a dustbin. That’s why if by any chance the divine Gardener lays his hands on you, scrubs and cleans you, and fills you with magnificent flowers, neither the scent nor the colour that embellishes your ugliness should make you proud. Humble yourself. Don’t you know that you are the rubbish bin?” (The Way 595 & 592). Lesson Three: Invite the Poor And Those Who Can Never Repay You. The third point we must take home today reminds us of the parable of the Rich Fool that Jesus gave a few Sundays ago. “God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21). Recall that St. Ambrose teaches us that if we need new barns to store our goods, we should make use of the bellies of the poor, the widows, the orphans and so on. Today, Jesus is saying, when you give a banquet, do not invite your friends, your neighbours, your family members, not even your rich neighbours. Why? “So that they too would not invite you in return and you be repaid.” Jesus is very particular about this repayment because He wants us to use our wealth to store riches for ourselves in heaven, where thieves cannot break in and steal, where moth and rust cannot destroy. Lesson Four: Pride Comes with Endless Afflictions. Pride (refusing to give God His due or looking down on others) is an affliction which has no cure. You cannot be afflicted and be happy. It is either you drop the affliction (embrace humility) or remain in misery. The word humility comes from a Greek word that means soil (or earth, sand, dust). When you are humble, God will elevate you. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Liturgical Colour: Green. Bible Study: Eccles. 3:19-21,30-31, Ps. 684-7,10-11, Hebrews 12:18-19,22-24, Luke 14:1,7-14) @Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu