This Sunday’s readings call us to reflect on the virtue of humility. Truly, we can grow in humility only by the grace of God. Our part comes in praying for God to give us the grace and strength to cooperate with Him in order to grow in humility.
The “Glory Be” is a wonderful prayer for practicing humility if we really think about what the words are saying: glory be to GOD, not glory be to ME. Another powerful prayer is the “Litany of Humility.” Also, Psalm 131 is a beautiful prayer of humble trust.
Jesus gives us the formula for choosing to practice humility in today’s Gospel. He described a situation where a person could choose to sit at a lower seat as an act of humility. We can choose small acts of humility like this, too. You might call them “random acts of humility.” For example, you might choose a faraway parking space with the intention of giving a closer space to another. You could practice listening intently and not interrupting when another is speaking. Offering someone a heartfelt apology is another idea. There are countless small ways to practice daily humility. They sound a lot like “random acts of kindness,” don’t they?
An important point about humility: being humble is not thinking poorly of yourself. Rather, it’s being confident of who you are in God’s eyes. When we truly grasp that we are a beloved son or daughter of God, we’re able to act humbly out of that truth. Fr. Jacque Philippe wrote, “Humility is truth. I am what I am in God’s eyes: a poor child who possesses absolutely nothing, who receives everything, infinitely loved and totally free” (Interior Freedom). When our true worth is in who we are in Christ, we can let go of the need for external signs of worth, also known as pride.
Jesus is the ultimate example of humility. Think about it: the all-powerful God humbled Himself to be born among animals, be subject to human parents, and work as a carpenter. During the Passion, He endured the abuse and mocking of the soldiers, was stripped of His clothing, and finally died a shameful death hanging naked on the cross: “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8).
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, please give me a heart like Yours.
Readings for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
SIRACH 3:17-29
PSALM 68:4-11
HEBREWS 12:18-24
LUKE 14:1, 7-14