TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SOLEMMITY OF SAINT PIUS X
28 AUGUST 2022
Those
dining in the home of the leading Pharisee are not interested in gaining wisdom
from this itinerant preacher from Galilee.
They are more interested in seeing what kind of guest he will be. They are ready to refute whatever teachings they
find against their liking. Instead of
choosing the lowest places where they might listen humbly to his words, they
choose the places of honor to demonstrate their superiority and high standing
in society. They are puffed up and
complacent in being recognized as important people.
Their
behavior brings Jesus to tell this parable.
He is concerned with more than polite behavior at banquets. He speaks of the virtue of humility, which
Sirach recommends in the first reading.
Sirach advises us to conduct our affairs with humility. Humility is the polar opposite of the sin of
pride, the first of the seven deadly sins.
Prideful people are so self-absorbed that they do not see the need to
listen to anyone else. They fail to see
the need to reach out to those who cannot repay them for any kindness they
might offer.
The Letter
to the Hebrews contrasts the old law given at Mount Sinai with the new law
given at the waters of baptism. In encountering
God, the Israelites experienced a distant God whose blazing fire kept them from
touching the sacred mountain. When we
were baptized, we approached Mount Zion to become part of the assembly of the
firstborn enrolled in heaven. Sprinkled
with the saving blood of Jesus Christ, we have become believers in a kingdom
which is both now and not yet.
As members
of that kingdom, humility is the most important virtue. The Latin word “humus” (which means “earth”)
reminds us that we are people formed from the clay of the earth. As creatures created by God, we embrace the
virtue of humility when we are gentle, courteous, and considerate of
others. Humility is the ultimate act of
faith in which the believer abandons the self to the will and care of God.
Today we
celebrate the amazing parish that God has given us. We are a vibrant parish blessed from God. Our annual celebration makes these gifts very
visible. At the center of what we do this weekend, we gather to hear the Lord
speak to us and be fed with his real presence at this Mass. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our
lives of faith. We saw the power of our
community of faith at the Flyin’ Lion race and walk this morning. We will enjoy our great fellowship as we share
food and drink after Mass. But in
celebrating our many gifts, we must remain humble. We are humbled when we recall at every Mass
that we are sinners who fail to live our baptismal promises more often than we
care to admit. We have not earned our
God-given gifts. God has freely given
them. Our many gifts do not make us
better or superior than any other parish.
Instead, the Lord insists that we share our many gifts with those who
cannot repay us – the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. These groups could not be priests or Levites
at Mount Sinai.
Beginning
this weekend, we are adopting the theme of encounter
as a parish for this year. Encounter has
two dimensions: encountering Jesus and
encountering others. Both of these tasks
demand humility from us. The Letter to
the Hebrews reminds us that God has reached out to encounter us. We, in turn, must have the humility to seek
God out in loving response. In that
humility, we reach out to seek those who need us, not because we are better,
but because they are one with us at the Lord’s Table. These encounters have the power to change us
more perfectly into the people God is calling us to be. We are part of the firstborn enrolled in
heaven.
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