In the first Scripture reading from the Book of Sirach, we read: ‘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. This Old Testament teaching on humility is a lead-in to today’s Gospel. From the evangelist Luke, Jesus’s table fellowship is the context for teaching. He is known for not following protocol during his table fellowship. As the story proceeds, the dynamic shifts from the people observing Jesus to Jesus observing them. He is a wisdom teacher offering lessons in humility. Jesus turns the notions of honor upside down. Jesus says it is humility that brings honor in the eyes of God. In the political arena, in the sports world, and all too often in corporate life, climbing the ladder of success leads us to a self-centeredness that places ourselves at the center of the universe. The disciples of Jesus are to have a healthy sense of the value and the virtue of humility. C. S. Lewis says that “humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” Humility leads to compassion and leads to be involved in the lives of others. Humility is not poor self-esteem; it is not a refusal to take any credit; a humble person is not disturbed by praise. Rather, if we desire to be humble, we need to look into the eyes of people in need and identify with their pain and hurts and to respond with humble love to lift up people in need. Without humility we cannot have a relationship with God. Knowing God makes us humble; knowing ourselves keeps us humble. Pope Francis gives 3 steps to humility: Self-forgiveness, forgiving others, and courtesy. Courtesy means to put aside one’s own interests aside and to focus on the other person. Courtesy means learning how to listen. We live out the virtue of humility when we can honor those who have challenged when we get carried with our own self-importance. Yes we want to value and treasure our giftedness, but we also want in humility to accept our limitations and to root our giftedness in ways we give thanks to God. There must be a welcome in our Eucharistic community for the needy signified by the gospel phrase ‘the poor, crippled, lame, and blind.’ What efforts do we make to ensure that no individual or group is excluded from the Lord’s meal?
In today’s Gospel Luke reminds us that Jesus was resolutely determined to make his way to Jerusalem. His decision to embark on such a journey was deeply rooted in his unwavering obedience to the Father. Yet, making such a decision must have been very difficult for Jesus, because he knew that his arrival in Jerusalem would ignite a series of events that would culminate with his death. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus’ life and ministry was an example of how to be a faithful and loving disciple. After reaching Jerusalem - Jesus’ death and resurrection became gifts of love for each of us, enabling us to carry on his ministry. Today it’s very common to hear people say that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, in fact, we used that statement in today’s penitential rite. However, it’s not often that we describe Jesus as a narrow door. Once we walk through that narrow door we will be recipients of a gift of love that is so pure and undefiled that no amount of money can buy it nor good works earn it. God will wrap His arms around us and we will discover the heart of Jesus and our hearts will beat as one. We all know that in the twinkling of an eye, each of us can find ourselves standing before the throne of God. Our heart’s true desires will be exposed and judged by God who not only created us, but intimately know us. Psalm 139 tells us: “Lord, you examine me and know me, you know when I sit and when I stand, you understand my thoughts from afar. You watch when I walk or lie down; you know every detail of my conduct. A word is not yet on my tongue before you, Lord, know all about it.” So, what must we do to be saved? We must believe that Jesus is Lord --- and that he sits at the right hand of the Father. We must allow God’s grace to wipe clean our sinful nature and allow that grace to remove all shame, anger, resentment, sadness, and any other barrier that’s preventing us from walking through the narrow door. Being a disciple of Jesus is not for the faint of heart. So Jesus invites us to turn to him when the burden is light and when the burden is heavy. He invites us to turn to him in times of happiness, in times of confusion, and in times of mourning. He wants us to know that he shares our laughter and tears. There are many paths that we can follow that will give a pleasure, but there is only one path that will be judged worthy of eternal life.
Our world is divided. Politically: there are blue states vs. red states. Socially, we have racial and economic division. Even among families, there is division and a lack of peace. But we need peace, harmony, and unity. So why does Jesus in today’s Gospel say that he did not come to establish peace on the earth, but division? At first glance, it seems out of place, and contrary to what we really need. But to understand the meaning of Jesus’ challenging words, we must go back to their original context. Jesus himself lived in a distant part of this empire, in Galilee. For all men who were citizens, it was a time of unprecedented peace. Or so it seemed, at first glance. When you looked beyond the surface of those in power and influence, the Roman Empire was anything but peaceful. Many were victims of great injustice, especially slaves, women, unwanted infants, and elderly persons with no one to care for them. It may have looked like peace on the outside, or called the Pax Romana in history books, but Jesus’ world was anything but peaceful. He spoke of peace to those he encountered. He says to us at every Mass through the priest, peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. We share that peace with one another at Mass. Jesus says in the Gospel that he came to set the earth on fire. This fire is the fire of love: self-giving, self-sacrificing love that puts the other first. This was a radical idea in the Roman world. Love like this was like Jesus holding a torch shining in a dark cave, leading us out to His bright new day. We reflect how easy it is to just go with the flow, to keep peace and not engage in conflict. We can so easily avoid the decisions that might lead to division, even if we might really benefit from a change for the better. This is true in our work lives, at home, and in our social lives. Maybe we have unaddressed family dynamics, and cover up the real problems, avoid them, so as to “keep the peace,” even though everyone is suffering. We may need help addressing difficult family dynamics. But we need not be afraid of addressing the need for deeper peace in our families, even if it means initial division, a decision to engage difficult dynamics. Jesus reminds us today to take stock. To look at where we have gone with the crowd, where we have sought to keep peace with the world and avoided the path to the Peace of Christ, with all the divisions that entails.
One night a house caught fire and a young little boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters." Hearing this, the boy jumped. He jumped, because he trusted his father. Can we place ourselves in the mind and heart of this young boy as his dad is telling him to jump? What about when we face life situations of sickness, death, brokenness in relationships, and we are gripped by fear, are we able to trust in God as a loving Father? Faith is the willingness to risk, to jump when we are not in control and to trust that we are in the hands of God and thus we are not to be afraid. Our Catholic faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known. Faith is not merely us holding on to God - it is God holding on to us. And He will never let us go! Hopefully we can follow the example of Abraham, leaving behind our fears and allow God to act through us to become a more recognizable presence in our world. Abraham and Sarah were like the young boy on the roof and left everything they had known and journeyed in trust in following God’s plan for them. All three readings today call for a faith-filled vigilance, a holy patience, a focused waiting. Jesus is calling for an attitude of vigilance. In summarizing the power of today’s Scripture readings, life is a gift of God, and that gift is to be given away. Life is for the giving and the sharing. When we recognize God’s desire to give His life for us, we then are motivated to give our lives to others.
I am Fr. Paul English, a member of the Basilian Fathers and pastor of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha parish in Irondequoit. I’m happy to be with you today to tell you a little about something I’m very proud of, the amazing and dedicated work of missionaries from my community and the things they’ve been able to accomplish with your help and, of course, the help of God. Thanks to you, too, for all you have done for the missions throughout the years. It is through your prayers, sacrifices and alms that you enable us to send missionaries to various parts of the world to a people who would otherwise never know a loving Father in Heaven, know Jesus who died on the cross that they might be saved. In 1955 the Basilians began a labor of love, serving the very poor people of Mexico City. Today, thousands know the mercy and love of God through the Basilian missionaries. In 1987 the Basilian Fathers accepted a call to serve the poor in Colombia. A large hospice was built with the help of American parishes, to serve the homeless elderly. Mother Teresa sent six of her sisters to staff it. The Basilians conduct one of the largest private schools in the country, specifically for children of families who absolutely cannot afford it. By your help, you are giving them the opportunity of a lifetime. Who is a missionary? Well in the first instance, Jesus sent his disciples to the ends of the earth to preach and teach the Good News. The Second Vatican Council teaches that “the pilgrim church, founded by Jesus, is missionary by its very nature.” And by the one baptism we all share in Christ, we are all missionaries as well. But it’s just not possible for you to pull up stakes and go to the ends of the earth, preaching and proclaiming the Good News… so together, we send other people, “missionaries” like the Basilians, in our stead. My confrères in Mexico work in parishes, where their special apostolate is the strengthening and values of the Catholic family, the basic and most powerful unit in the Mexican society. The missionaries in Mexico working with the people have developed many enjoyable and instructive activities and programs that empower Catholic families to share the love of Christ, the Word of God and the joy of rich family life in Christ. How can you help? First of all, by prayer. We believe that prayer is powerful. Please pray for the missionaries, pray for vocations, pray for openness to God’s Word. You can help by understanding that what Basilians or any missionaries do is not just “doing our thing,” rather, it’s doing “your thing.” You and I are the Church, and the Church is missionary by its very nature. We Christians are not free to take a pass on being part of the Mission of Christ; we must proclaim God’s Word wherever we are. You can help financially. Be assured that we on the missions pray for you good people each day. It’s our honor and our joy to do so.