Preparing for the Liturgy of the Word

29 August 2010

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sir 3:17-20, 28-29; Heb 12:18-19, 22-24; Lk 14:1,7-14

This week we are reminded of the great virtue of humility and of the sin that is pride. We are to remember that we stand before God who is creator of everything in the Universe, who yet condescends to invite us to a relationship with Him as our Father.

The first reading is taken from Sirach or Ecclesiasticus, which is part of the deutero-canonical books. The writer urges us to live humbly and gently for if we do that we will be loved more than if we were a lavish giver. Indeed the writer asserts that the greater we are, the more humble we must be. This reminds us of Christ's words when He taught the beatitudes and in His teaching that is in this week's Gospel. The writer reminds us that it is only our humility that will be an acceptable offering to the almighty power of God. Standing before this God, what can we possibly be proud of? It is unsurprising therefore that there is no cure for the malady of the proud.

The second reading us taken from the letter to the Hebrews. The writer highlights the awesome majesty of God. When we approach His Holy Dwelling, we are coming to a place that is utterly unknown to the sense of man. Yet God who is beyond all imagination makes each of us a first-born child and calls us to be a citizen of His heavenly city in the company of the angels, the communion of saints. God's power is so awesome; yet it is best appreciated in His sublime gentleness with us.

The Gospel highlights the virtue of humility and asks us to avoid the sin of pride. Jesus told the parable of the wedding feast. We identify with the parable so readily because even today, when we are invited to a function, we seek out the places of honour. We cherish the attention we draw when we are seated at the high table or at the seats reserved for the VIPs and we feel slighted when we are seated at tables at the back of the hall. How petty this all seems against the awesome majesty of the God we say we worship and adore! Jesus makes His point very subtly. It is much better to head for the back of the room and be invited to the places of honour; than to grab the prominent seats only to be told we don't belong there. But there is a powerful message that is embedded in this parable. And it is in the words with which Jesus sums up His message: he who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

In God's Kingdom there is an inverse order that we need to re-orientate ourselves to. We can do this by remembering that all we have comes from God. Once we realize this, we will also know that in truth we have no cause at all to exalt ourselves. After all, our natural state tendency is one of sin, because of which we in fact have no right to life at all. But God redeems us and empowers us through His Holy Spirit from our sinful tendency state by the sacrificial work of Christ; and He gives us eternal life and raises us to become His children and citizens of His Heavenly Kingdom. All this is possible only because of the work of Jesus. When we internalize this and truly understand it, we become aware of our own unworthiness and of God's amazing grace. This awareness inevitably produces a state of appreciative humility. This is the state in which we truly become the children of God.

Some points for reflection as you read the passages:

Previous sunday reflections : 22nd august 2010 - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time