First Reading: Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
Reflection:
The book of Sirach was written in the second century B.C. by a wise sage in Jerusalem named Ben Sira (meaning son of Sirach). Sirach falls in the category of wisdom literature in the Old Testament and contains the teachings of Ben Sira to one of his students, referred to here as “my child.” This Sunday’s first reading focuses on humility, as will the gospel reading. We are challenged to heed the wise instruction to “conduct your affairs with humility.” But what does it look like to be humble? As C.S. Lewis put it, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” In other words, to be humble does not mean we need to be down on ourselves. Humility is about putting others before ourselves. In order to be humble, we need to have a correct view of who we are and our right place in relation to God and all of creation. Humility also involves understanding our own limitations so that we do not strive after “what is too sublime” or “things beyond [our] strength.” Humility also requires us to have “an attentive ear.” Docility (which means to be teachable) and humility go hand in hand. The humble person is “quick to listen and slow to speak” (James 1:19). Humility also involves giving freely of oneself to help those in need. We’ll see in the gospel reading how Jesus connects the dots between humility and caring for the poor. The first reading ends by bringing up that point in saying, “alms atone for sins.” By helping those in need (i.e. giving alms) we follow the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians: “Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others” (2:3b-4). Let us strive for that radical humility that is expressed through love.
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24A
Reflection:
This passage from the letter to the Hebrews contrasts the Old Covenant, enacted at Mt. Sinai, with the New Covenant instituted by Jesus and oriented toward heaven. There are seven characteristics listed in each paragraph of this passage. The first seven speak of the events at Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19-20 when Moses received the law from God and the Mosaic covenant was instituted. These images reveal the earthly, physical nature of that covenant. It involved “that which could be touched.” God manifested himself as “a blazing fire,” “gloomy darkness,” a “storm,” and “a trumpet blast.” His very voice struck fear into those listening so that they “begged that no message be further addressed to them.” In the second paragraph, these descriptors are contrasted with seven characteristics of the New Covenant. The mountain is no longer Mt. Sinai, but Mt. Zion, which was a literal mountain in Jerusalem that came to represent the entire city and also “the heavenly Jerusalem.” In this “heavenly Jerusalem,” there are “countless angels,” “the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven” (note: assembly here means church, so this would refer to all of us who are part of the New Covenant by being baptized members of the Church), “God the judge of all,” “the spirits of the just made perfect” (i.e. the saints), and “Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant.” Jesus fulfills and supersedes the Old Covenant. He offered the once-for-all sacrifice that obliterated the need for animal sacrifice, for His is the “sprinkled blood” that atones for sins. And His blood, in contrast to Abel’s, cries out not for vengeance but for mercy. In the New Covenant, therefore, we can truly find peace with God. We can find everlasting life in heaven, which was not possible before Christ. The Old Covenant was good, but the New Covenant is better. That’s because the New Covenant is not just about the here and now but about being in the presence of God in heaven for all eternity. The New and Everlasting Covenant, therefore, supersedes the old.
Gospel Reading: Luke 14:1, 7-14
Reflection:
Like in the first reading, the focus in this Sunday’s gospel is on humility. To be humble, according to Jesus, is to not exalt oneself and to not think of oneself more highly than one ought. Rather, the humble person chooses the lowest place at the table. That person chooses not to pursue status but to let other people be considered greater than they are. Still, God will reward the humble person in the end: “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted … [and] will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” This does not mean our motivation for being humble should be the reward that we will receive. That is false humility. True humility, as Jesus teaches, does not seek repayment. We are to serve others, not expecting to be served in return. We should love others, whether or not they love us back. And one of the best ways to live out humility, according to Jesus, is to care for “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.” It takes true humility to associate oneself with the downtrodden and outcasts of society, just as Jesus Himself did. And to care for the needy (i.e. to give alms, as the first reading talked about) is not just about writing a check to a charity or to our parish. Jesus’ parable indicates that we need to encounter the poor. By inviting them to the banquet, it left no room for the poor to be out of sight and out of mind. True humility involves going out of our way and out of our comfort zone to interact with those most in need. It involves not just giving money, but giving ourselves.
Application:
In what ways do you need to grow in humility? In humility, what are some action steps you could take to encounter, love, and serve the poor and downtrodden?
