+ The opening prayer for Mass today focused on God’s many gifts: “every good thing comes from you, Almighty
God!” Among those good things are late summer flowers, fresh farm produce, and
the last days of summer vacation. Surrounded by such abundance and bounty and
beauty, it is easy to trust in God’s “constant care and protection” – also a
phrase from that same opening prayer.
Today’s readings suggest the
proper attitude of those who have received so many gifts: HUMILITY! This humility has nothing to do with “groveling before
the almighty,” but is instead a certain “down-to-earth-ness.” The root of the
words “humble” and “humility” is “humus”: meaning “earth.” A humble person is “earthy!” The true activity of the virtue of
humility keeps us from reaching beyond
ourselves, from excessive, unfounded pride; from lording it over others and
thinking that rules just don’t apply to us, no matter what our social or
economic position might be. Humility reminds us of our oneness with the less fortunate – “the poor, the cripple, the
blind, the lame” – whom Jesus commands us
to invite to our tables. THE TRULY HUMBLE PERSON KNOWS THAT EVERYTHING IS
GOD’S GIFT!
Of course, humility is not a
highly treasured characteristic in our culture. How can we possibly “get ahead”
if we don’t exalt ourselves? It is only
right that I should sit at the places of honor at fancy corporate banquets – I
have certainly “earned” the right. Yet Jesus reminds us once again that God’s standard of success is different from
the world’s – in fact, it is the
opposite. The second reading gives us a taste, though, of the heavenly glory we stand to inherit
when we are willing to set aside earthly standards and earthly fame: we will
inherit “the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels [and saints] in festal gathering.”
May
we pray for the gift of humility daily – especially the greater among us, the ones with larger
responsibilities. May we conduct our affairs with holy detachment, expansive
love and “earthy” humility so that we may be able to appreciate and rejoice in the “proverbs of the wise,” have the “mind
of a sage” and have a place reserved for us in the new and eternal Jerusalem!
Take my yoke upon you, says
the Lord, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart!
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