Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is the need for true humility and the blessedness of generous sharing. Today’s gospel warns us against all forms of pride and self-glorification. At the same time, humility is presented as a means of opening our heart, our minds and our hands to the poor, needy, disadvantaged and marginalized of society. Thus humility is both the cause and the result of social awareness and altruism. For Jesus, the daily human needs of the poor are the personal responsibility of every authentic, humble believer. In today’s gospel, Jesus’ words concerning the seating of guests at a wedding banquet prompt us to honor those whom others ignore. If we are generous and just in our dealings with those in need, we can be confident of the Lord’s blessings. On the other hand, if we act out of pride and selfishness we can be sure that our efforts will come to nothing.

[b]The first reading, (Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29): Today’s reading from Ben Sirach gives a lesson in humility. Sirach is a book of moral instruction and wise sayings written by a devout Jewish sage about 175 years before the time of Jesus. It is part of the wisdom literature of the Hebrew Scriptures. As a world traveler (34:12-13) and a respected scribe and teacher, Ben Sira presided as the headmaster of an academy for young men (57:23-30). Today’s reading represents excerpted portions of two of Ben Sira’s short essays, the first on humility (3:17-24), the second on docility, almsgiving and social conduct (3:25-4:10). Like a parent or an elder brother offering wise counsel, the author recommends that his readers find true greatness in living humbly. "Conduct your affairs in humility," Sira writes. "The more you humble yourselves, the greater you are." He instructs us to be honest about ourselves and to become conscious of our limitations, acknowledging our true position before God as creatures and sinners.

The second reading: (Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24): The Letter to the Hebrews was written in the last quarter of first century AD. Many of the apostolic eye-witnesses to Jesus had died, but the expected Second Coming of Jesus had not taken place. The Hebrew Christians (Judeo-Christians), subjected to hostilities from both Judaism and Roman Empire, grew lax in their commitment. Hence the author of Hebrews asks his readers to choose either the ways of the former Covenant, symbolized by the fire, storm, darkness, trumpet blast and the voice, speaking words that they begged not to hear, or the ways of the new Covenant, mediated by Jesus and celebrated by the angels and the assembly of the first born. St. Paul compares and contrasts the picture of God in the Old Testament with that in the New Testament. Instead of the frightening manifestation of God’s glory in the Old Covenant, the New Testament offers the picture of a loving and humble God as revealed by Christ. Paul seems to imply that we have to follow Christ’s example of humility in our relationship with the less fortunate members of our society. We are gathered around "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel." Jesus was lowly, particularly in his suffering and death for our salvation (Heb 2:5-18). If we are humble like Jesus we will be exalted at the resurrection of the righteous.

Exegesis: [/b]Instruction at a party: The reason Jesus was invited to the dinner party was that he was already a sort of celebrity, noted for curing the sick. People are always drawn toward celebrities. But Jesus was not interested in such fame. Without putting on an air of superiority, he used the occasion to teach a lesson about the Kingdom, presenting humility as the essential condition for God’s invitation to His heavenly banquet. Humility must be expressed in the recognition of one’s lowliness before God and one's need of salvation. Based on his observation of a gross breach of social etiquette at that party, Jesus taught those Jewish religious teachers what genuine humility was and what the dangers of pride were. "Go and take the lowest place," Jesus recommends, "so that when the host comes to you he may say, `My friend, move up toa higher position.'" In other words, always situate yourself in such a manner that the only way you can go is up.

Importance of humility: When God became man, he chose to occupy the lowest possible seat. Paul described in Phil. 2:7-8, the six steps in humility that God took in coming to this earth. "Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." Humility was Jesus’ favorite theme. "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." "Whoever humbles himself like a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of God." "Learn of me, for I am humble of heart." Humility is a strange phenomenon. As a rule, when you discover you have it, you lose it. Humility is like a rare flower -- put it on display and it instantly wilts and loses its fragrance! St. Augustine said: "Humility is so necessary for Christian perfection that among all the ways to reach perfection, humility is first, humility is second, and humility is third." He added, "Humility makes men angels, and pride makes angels devils." St. Bernard declared, "Pride sends man from the highest elevation to the lowest abyss, but humility raises him from the lowest abyss to the highest elevation."

Humility with a hook: Here is a portion of one of Mother Teresa’s exhortations to her novices: "If I try to make myself as small as I can, I'll never become humble. It is humility with a hook. True humility is truth. Humility comes when I stand as tall as I can, and look at all of my strengths, and the reality about me, but put myself alongside Jesus Christ. And it's there, when I humble myself before Him, and realize the truth of who He is, when I accept God's estimate of myself, stop being fooled about myself and impressed with myself, that I begin to learn humility. The higher I am in grace, the lower I should be in my own estimation because I am comparing myself with the Lord God." Thus humility is an attempt to see ourselves as God sees us. It is an admission that our talents come from God who has seen fit to work through us.

Lesson in true humility: In today’s gospel story, Jesus gave his host a lesson in humility. "When you hold a banquet, don't invite friends or relatives or wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather invite the poor, the cripples, the lame, and the blind, who are unable to repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." The Pharisees were preoccupied with "earning" a high place in heaven. Jesus counseled them to practice what they preached about God's concern for the poor and thereby to gain true merit. In other words, Jesus suggests, “Do something really different! Invite to your parties the people who have little to bring with them. The blessing, recognition and benefit you are worried about will come, though not through the means you expected.” The freedom that comes with knowing we are loved and sustained by God is a freedom to give generously of our resources, to give the best place to others without concern for ourselves. Just as Jesus challenged his fellow guests, so he challenges us. He warns us that those who will be saved will not be people like the Pharisees. The deeper message of this parable is that if we exalt ourselves, we are going to face embarrassment before the judgment seat of God, the Host who has invited us to the banquet of life.

Message: 1) Practice humility in personal and social life: Humility is grounded in a psychological awareness that everything I have is a gift from God, therefore, I have no reason to boast. I must not use these God-given gifts to elevate myself above others. Hence, humility means the proper understanding of our own worth. It requires us not to overestimate our worth, nor to underestimate it either. The humility that the gospel urges upon us has nothing to do with a self-deprecation that leaves a person without proper self-esteem. We must simply admit the truth about ourselves: we do not know everything, we do not do everything right, we are all imperfect and sinners. Nevertheless, we also recognize that we are made in the image and likeness of God and that we are called to help build the kingdom of God with our God-given gifts. We are of value, not because of those gifts, but because we are loved by God as His children redeemed by the precious blood of His son Jesus. The quality of humility that Jesus is talking about has a sociological dimension too. It means that Jesus is inviting us to associate with the so-called "lower classes" of society -- even the outcasts. Jesus invites us to change our social patterns in such a way that we connect with the homeless, the handicapped, the elderly, and the impoverished -- the "street people" of the world.

Winston Churchill was once asked, "Doesn't it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?" "It's quite flattering," replied Sir Winston. "But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I were being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big."

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday's liturgy.

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Be Modest in What You Do!
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sirach 3:19-21, 30-31; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a; Luke 14:1, 7-14

The beginning of this Sunday's Gospel helps us to correct a widely diffused prejudice: "One Sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him." Reading the Gospel from a certain angle we have ended up making the Pharisees the prototype for all vices: hypocrisy, duplicity, falsity; Jesus' enemies par excellence. The terms "Pharisee" and "Pharisaical" have entered into the vocabulary of many languages with negative connotations.

Such an idea of the Pharisees is not correct. There were certainly many among them who corresponded to this negative image and it is with these that Jesus has serious problems. But not all of them were like this. Nicodemus, who comes to see Jesus one night and who later defended him before the Sanhedrin, was a Pharisee (cf. John 3:1; 7:50ff.). Saul was a Pharisee before his conversion and was certainly a sincere and zealous person then, if misguided. Gamaliel, who defended the apostles before the Sanhedrin, was a Pharisee (cf. Acts 5:34ff.).

Jesus' relationships with the Pharisees were not only conflictual. They often shared the same convictions, such as faith in the resurrection of the dead and the love of God and neighbor as the first and most important commandment of the law. Some, as we see in Sunday's Gospel, even invited Jesus to dinner at their house. Today there is agreement that the Pharisees did not want Jesus to be condemned as much as their rival sect, the Sadducees, who belonged to Jerusalem's priestly caste.

For all these reasons, it would be a very good thing to stop using the terms "Pharisee" and "Pharisaical" in a disparaging way. This would also help dialogue with the Jews who recall with great respect the role played by the Pharisees in their history, especially after the destruction of Jerusalem.

During the dinner that Sabbath, Jesus taught two important things: one directed to those who were invited and the other to their host. To the host Jesus says (perhaps privately or only in the presence of his disciples): "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors ..." This is what Jesus himself did when he invited the poor, the afflicted, the meek, the hungry, the persecuted -- the persons named in the beatitudes -- to the great banquet of the kingdom.

But this time I would like to focus on what Jesus says to the invitees. "When you are invited to a wedding feast, do not take a place of honor ..." Jesus does not intend to give a lesson in good manners here. Neither does he wish to encourage the subtle calculation of those who take a lower place with the secret hope of gaining a more honorable place from the host. The parable could deceive us if we do not think about the banquet and the host that Jesus has in mind. The banquet is the most universal one of the kingdom and God is the host.

In life, Jesus wants to say, Choose the last place, try to work more for the benefit of others than for your own benefit. Be modest in evaluating your merits, allow others to do this instead ("No one is a good judge of his own case"), and already in this life God will lift you up. He will lift you up in his grace; he will make you rise in the ranks of Jesus' friends and true disciples, which is the only thing that really matters.

He will also exalt you in the esteem of others. It is a surprising fact but a true one: It is not only God who "comes to the humble but holds the proud at a distance" (cf. Psalm 107:6); men do the same, whether or not they are believers. Modesty, when it is sincere and not affected, conquers, makes those who practice it loved, makes their company desirable, their opinion appreciated. True glory flees from those who seek it and seeks those who flee from it.

We live in a society that has an extreme need to hear this Gospel message of humility again. Running to take the first seats, perhaps without scruple using others as steppingstones, being opportunistic and viciously competitive -- these are things that are universally condemned but, unfortunately, they are also universally practiced. The Gospel has an impact on society, even when it speaks of humility and modesty.

Cappie,

I like both of your quotes, where did you get the Mother Teresa quote from? I think it most appropriate given all the news around her recently with regard to her letters.

BTW. hope you don't mind, but I am going to use the Mother Teresa quote

It was quoted to me from a book Mother Teresa: In My Own Words (Hardcover)
by Mother Teresa