whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus also addressed the man who had invited him, and said, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, or your brothers and relatives, or your wealthy neighbors. For surely they will also invite you in return, and you will be repaid. When you give a feast, invite instead the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Fortunate are you then, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the upright.”
Lectio Divina
READ: The reading from Sirach admonishes us to be humble so we find favor with God. The Letter to the Hebrew speaks of the heavenly feast in which we come, together with the firstborn of God. In the gospel reading, Jesus speaks of hum- bling oneself so that later on we will be exalted.
REFLECT: Being humble takes on a special place in the reign of God. The humble person recog- nizes what his status and who she/he is before God. She/he recognizes God as the source of all and her/his origin. She/ he does not place God aside, but instead acknowledges his power and love. She/he does not usurp that which belongs primarily to God. For instance, the cook/chef who is able to prepare delicious and nice- looking dish acknowledges where the ingredients come from and how they are pro- duced. She/he does not claim sole credit for the dish. (There are many other examples through which we can detect the presence or absence of hu- mility in a person.) The humble person recognizes the good- ness and giftedness of others. She/he does not look down on other people. She/he sees them also capable of doing some- thing great and worthwhile. She/he is free to associate with the poor and marginalized of the society. It does not bother her/him to be with them.
PRAY: Lord, grant us the grace to free ourselves (with) of pride and arrogance. And may we learn the humility of Jesus.
ACT: Always be grateful for our giftedness. Develop the habit of seeing the good in others and of learning from them.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019
