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Gospel: Luke 14: 1, 7-14
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Then he said to the host who invited him,
“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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A few years ago, I traveled with a friend to Ireland. While there, we celebrated Mass in his hometown church, a tiny white chapel perched on a hill.
Walking in for the first time, I noticed something unusual… each pew had a bronze name plate. Walking down the aisle you could read them all: “O’Callaghan. O’Connor. Murphy. Duffy. Doyle.”
When I asked why, he said the pews dated back to when the chapel was built. Each pew was auctioned off as a fundraiser. The last pew went to the highest bidder – and the first pew went to the lowest bidder.
“Why would someone pay the highest price to have the last seat?” I wondered.
Referencing today’s Gospel, where Jesus instructs his disciples to take the seat of lowest honor, he chuckled and said to me, “It seems people were willing to pay for their humility.”
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What, exactly, is humility?
It can be hard to define, yet we know it when we see it and we know it when we don’t.
The word humility comes from the Latin word, humus, meaning, “earth.” Thus, a humble person is well-grounded; their feet are firmly planted, allowing them to stand – neither above nor below – but shoulder to shoulder with the rest of humanity.
Even those whom Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel – the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and those “unable to repay you.” A humble person can blend right in without making their neighbor feel uncomfortable for being poorer or less fortunate than they are.
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This is how Jesus lived his entire life.
He was born in a stable in Bethlehem. He spent his infancy as a refugee, fleeing the wrath of King Herod. He was raised by a poor teenage mother and a humble foster father in the unassuming town of Nazareth, a small dot on the edge of the Roman Empire.
As an adult, he never owned a home nor had a natural family of his own. He spent his life on the road, preaching, healing, and forgiving those caught in sin.
At the Last Supper, he had to borrow someone else’s home to celebrate a meal with his disciples. There Jesus gave them all he had left – his own Body and Blood – under the appearance of bread and wine.
Hours later, he died on a common cross and was laid in a borrowed tomb.
Although he is the Son of God, Jesus always sought the seat of lowest honor, identifying with the downtrodden in this world. As a lasting message to all who would be his followers, he reminds us, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.”
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How are we humble like the Lord?
Although we may have more materially than Jesus ever did, how are we humble of heart?
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Allow me to offer a few possibilities.
Humility is acknowledging our weaknesses while also trying to better ourselves. It’s the willingness to accept that other people are just as weak as we are without making them feel it.
It’s the ease with which we love; the readiness with which we forgive; the spontaneity with which we serve.
Humility is the spouse who foregoes the last word, or the need to be right in a trivial argument, in order to preserve peace in the household.
It’s the dad who sacrifices a golf game or a boy’s night out in order to attend his child’s recital… or a meeting at church.
It’s the athlete who earns the bronze or silver medal while congratulating the one who earned gold.
It’s the person who quietly drops off treats for our Sunday café, who purifies the linens for Mass, or who serves our community in any way without needing the recognition.
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Humility can also mean the ability to say, “No.”
There are so many demands placed upon our time. A humble person knows when – and how – to politely decline an invitation.
They’re also not afraid of succession at work or in ministry; they know when it’s time to let another person step forward. A humble person understands their limitations, but gives their best at all times.
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Back in Ireland, I remember asking my friend, “Why would someone pay the highest price to have the lowest seat?”
“It seems people were willing to pay for their humility,” he chuckled.
Humility is an odd thing. We know it when we see it and we know it when we don’t. May Christ’s humility guide our words and actions this week.
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Image credits: (1) The Philosophical Economist (2) iStock (3) Hillspring Church
