(31st August 2025) Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Read: (Sir 3: 17-18, 20, 28-29; Heb 12: 18-24; Lk 14: 1, 7-14)

Reflect: Be Humble to be exalted…

Dear friends, we are in the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Liturgy of the word focuses its attention on humility. “Pride goes before a fall,” is a proverb that we have heard several times. It indicates that people who are proud-hearted and arrogant will definitely fall or fail. So it is better to be humble than feel proud of things which are passing and just a vain glory. Humility makes life better, brighter and broader. Humility is freedom from pride and arrogance. Humility helps us to be compassionate and empathetic towards others. Humility offers us opportunities to be human and humane to our brothers and sisters.  At times we may be annoyed to practice it, may feel frustrated or disturbed, and may feel as if we are in thorns and traps but humility has its reward, giving us real joys of life. The liturgy of the word invites each one of us to be humble before God and one another. So based on the readings, I would like to share with you three points of reflection. 

1. Humility favors:

The book of Proverbs 22:4 says, “The reward for humility is fear of the Lord, riches and honor and life.” Yes, however we may be great in life, but if we walk with a humble heart and spirit we shall find the good will and the compassionate act of God for us. Unfortunately, there is a misconceived understanding of humility among many. We most often think that humility is a weakness. But if we understand well and right, humility provides us a platform to build our rapport with God and others well. In fact, humility brings us from God the dual blessing, both for oneself and others. Humility gives us the feeling to trust others and show respect to one’s dignity; it gives peace and reconciliation; it transforms life and forms us to be in union with God. 

That’s what we hear from the first reading from Sirach, “The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself and thus you will find favor with God. For great is the power of the Lord and it is the humble who give him glory.” Yes, in order to find favor with God and be under his protection and care, one has to be humble. Because, we know there is no one who can be greater than in all that exists. What becomes a stumbling block for our growth is the sense of pride, arrogance and selfishness. These blind us of God’s greatness and ours too as children of God. Our greatness lies in humility. Our true greatness is found in not being served but by serving others; our greatness is found in not being successful over the illusory, temporary and unnecessary pleasures but by being faithful and truthful for every good work and goodness that God has done to us. 

Today most of us experience a fall from great height or pinnacle of success because of the unnecessary or unfitting feeling of pride and arrogance. Let us be sure that there is no possibility to find favor with anyone if we are too proud of our humility and our good acts. The good acts that we do should make us favorable to one another. It should not be words of flattery of oneself or one’s works. It should speak of the goodness of the Lord and bring glory to God. Such manifestations will enable us to experience God in our lives genuinely. People will be inspired by what we do, because it affects their life and changes their craving and thirsting for God. So our actions in humble service will find favor with God and with one another, provided we follow God’s ways and commands.  So let us find favor with God by remaining loyal to God and express our love for one another. 

2. The perfect humility:

We call an act perfect only when it’s devoid of imperfections. Perfection has no limitations because it is full of love and it has fullness of love in every act that we do. Thus the perfect humility is born of God, because God humbled himself. It is God who showed us the ways of humility. The perfect humility of God is seen in the sending of Jesus as expiation for our sins and shame. It is the blood of Christ that has washed away our sins and granted us salvation. That’s what we hear in the second reading from Hebrews. 

The letter to the Hebrews very clearly points out that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant, with the sprinkled blood cries out more than that of Abel’s. Yes, it shows the perfect way in which Jesus expressed his humility to humanity in his sacrifice, the sacrifice which has sanctified the human race. Indeed, the humility of Jesus is not only seen at the time of birth even in his death. If the birth of Jesus is the starting point of his humility, the death of Jesus shall be the peak point of humility. Because, Jesus by dying on the cross for us, he has raised us on high to be one with God the Father. It is the humility of Jesus that made us all children of God. So we have Jesus as a perfect model for humility. But God never asks us to give up life to show humility but our little acts of love and kindness to one another in humility will prove that we are His children. Today we need to be like Jesus, a model to follow the path of humility and reach another and ourselves to God Most high.

Today in what ways we can practice and promote perfect humility in our lives is a question we need to ask and answer for ourselves. First of all we need to be men and women of others. It is not self-centeredness rather other-centeredness; we need to listen attentively to the voice of God like Jesus than jumping to conclusions, wasting time in unnecessary chats and talks; we need to accept God’s ways and designs for one’s life rather than choosing one’s own comfort zones; we need to walk with others and not talk about others; we need to focus our attention on God and not on self-recognition and self-promotion. Most of our pitfalls are due to selfishness and attachment. I am sure, if we could keep aside our selfish attitudes and become selfless for God’s work, we would be able to build a paradise on earth otherwise we would be creating on earth a fiery furnace of hell. Let us then work for perfect humility in meekness. I am sure God would perfect our humble service and promote our lives for the better.

3. Humility - a gesture of hospitality:

I consider ‘humility – a gesture of humility’, because when we welcome someone with a heart of humility and meekness, we give them space to share. When we give others space to share, they open themselves well, feel respected, valued and reciprocate the same attitude and approaches with others too. In the act of humility for hospitality, we listen to others with an open ear and wide open heart; we listen rather than interrupting and disturbing; we offer ourselves to the other without any expectation; we don’t show domination rather manifest concern in kindness and compassion. A humble person does not seek praise and honor for oneself rather seeks the praise and glory of God, looks at the welfare and well-being of others. That’s what we see in the Gospel reading of the day. 

The Gospel reading presents before us the parable of the wedding feast. It unfolds to us the humility that the host and the guest need to have. The first point from the parable; when one is called for a wedding; it is better and preferable for the guests to occupy the back seats than the front seats, so that the host will provide the honorable place before all, if it’s really required or wished by the host. It will make the host convenient to allot places for people invited. It will show the humility of the guest and a respect to the host. It makes us understand how we approach others in our relationships or in associations with us in families, communities and societies. Let us remember that true hospitality in humility does not mean that we assert to others how important we are rather how we create space for others to be and to feel free with us. It is not that sitting back is belittling or degrading, rather it is a trust placed on the host that self-honor will be given by the host, if he or she knows our worth.

The second point from the parable; the host calls people of different sorts and does not restrict only to few who are well-to-do or honorable or wealthy but he lays an invitation to the least in the society. It shows the humility of the host in inviting everyone to make the wedding celebration great, grand and glorious. Because by calling those who are rich and wealthy, we repay what we have paid for or what we are obliged to pay for what they have paid to us. But by calling those who can’t repay us, we show our gesture of love and kindness to them, the least of the people are edified and satisfied by an act of love and humility that we show. By calling the least to such celebrations, we are blessed by them too. 

Yes, today wedding celebrations are common in our world. The decorations and the degrees of celebrations vary. The mood and the mode of celebration is such that we even borrow money and lavishly spend to show off for honor of self or family identity; we call people of high ranking to show that the celebration is great. At times celebrations are based on the comparative mode, trying to out beat or overtake what others have done.  Although some celebrate grandly so posh, there are still people who celebrate occasions moderately without any pride. But how many of us think of the poor, the marginalized, the orphaned and abandoned. They may not repay us financially but they will pay us back courteously. The joy on their faces and delight in their hearts is a blessing in turn for the celebration. 

Today, there are people who celebrate weddings in orphanages or homes for the aged or in differently-abled centers in order to give them the joy and obtain blessings for all ages to come. It does not matter how much joy we obtain from others but it really matters how much joy we can give or share. That real joy begins with an act of humility. The hospitality to others begins with a gesture of humility, because humility is a stepping stone to reach greatness in life. It gives us access to remain close to God and to one another. 

As Pope Leo very well said “I urge you to live the gift of your priesthood with humility and meekness, with the ability to listen and to remain close to others, calling them to be faithful and tireless Disciples of Christ the Good Shepherd.” Indeed, it was a message shared by Pope to all priests. However, we the followers of Christ must be humble and meek in all ways, so that we obtain the capacity to listen and remain close to each other, as God is close to us by his meekness and humility. So let us be humble, God will definitely exalt us.   

Respond:

Do I humble myself of the great things achieved or use words of flattery for vain glory? 

Do I consider humility as inferiority complex or humiliation? How well and happily do I practice the virtue of humility in my association with others? 

Am I humble in extending hospitality to guests and hosts in the family, community and society? 

Humility is not inferiority complex or being treated as slaves but it’s one form of giving way to oneself and others to grow happily and modestly. May God bless us to grow in humility. Amen.

Elisha said to a poor widow, “borrow empty vessels and pour oil into them (2 Kings 4:3-4). Similarly, to receive the grace of God into our hearts, we ought to empty them of our own glory. (St. Francis De Sales, IDL, 3rd Part, Chapter - 4, p. 149).  

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968