For the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time…
My child, conduct your affairs with humility,
and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
Humble yourself the more, the greater you are,
and you will find favor with God.
Sirach 3:17-18
The Book of Sirach was written about 180 years before the time of Christ. It shares rich counsel on how to live one’s life with God’s Law in mind. For those of us who have come so many generations later, we know the Law to be fulfilled in Christ Jesus. And so we see the Church’s wisdom in paring this commentary on humility with Jesus’ preaching in this Sunday’s Gospel on not being afraid of “taking the lowest place” and that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:9,11).
Humility is the bedrock of all other virtues, reminding us that only God is God, and we are not. It is the proper response we must have before God’s Lordship. Humility sees the true value in putting God’s ways ahead of our own. Humility helps us respond to God’s call to follow…. to invite and allow God to lead.
Every apostle of Christ learned to humbly follow Jesus. And, for us, that requires a humble posture in prayer, as well. Ultimately, humility unlocks the pathway toward love, removing obstacles in the way of our service to others.
Whenever I think of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, I see models for this way of life. I’m still learning the lessons that comes from humility, and how to apply them. But I do desire it, and so I pray.
Jesus, lead me in taking the humble path, at home, at work, or in prayer.
