A walk with Him…
The beautiful passage from Sirach bears repeating:
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. What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.
Then we are exhorted by the Letter to the Hebrews to live as one in Christ Jesus. The author saw the addressees in danger of apostasy from their Christian faith. This danger was due not to any outside persecution but from a weariness with the demands of Christian life and a growing indifference. I know some families including my own can relate to that growing indifference and leaving the church.
However, many Christians certainly persevere to have our faith in Jesus strengthened, especially as we face so many events that challenge our values. Jesus, brings us hope by that same sacrificial love we are assured of possessing forever. That possession begins here. Mass is a journey communal and individual journey to examine our conscience. We gather in the Lord for cleansing/healing, humbling ourselves to ask for forgiveness in preparation of the Eucharist.
It is an opportunity to walk humbly with the Lord in this memorial of His sacrificial love. All of us are united by Him in that walk. WE come from so many different places, ages, races, and lifestyles. Each week we are reminded of what is the same in our humanity regardless of who we are where we are from. What we share united at Mass is our humanity, our needs to know God loves us, that our lives matter and that daily we are on the same journey to the HIM. Together and individually. WE struggle in many of the same ways to grow in the Lord’s love and charity. Sometimes beyond the church, we fail to see Him in one another and sometimes we get it right, but we keep on trying to grow in the Lord’s love. Walk humbly with him. the quality or state of not thinking we are better than other people: the quality or state of being humble
Sometimes it seems that each day Jesus is raising the bar for us—calling us to be humble before him and for one another– like in our gospel today.
+ “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.”
I am sure Jesus doesn’t want us to stop having meals and sharing special occasions with those nearest and dearest to us. However, he is inviting us to open our eyes to the humanity—the divine present in all people and welcome them—not easy!
Jesus is not suggesting a fake humility to impress Him or anyone. He is reminding us that, behind all our attempts to work hard and do good for others, we must reflect on our reasons for doing what we do. Daily, we try to share the gifts of life we have, not to stand out. It is so others can stand up with us, find hope and celebrate life in God who has blessed us—true humility; we encounter God in those we serve—WHEN WE TRY TO DO SO.
After all, who is sitting in this church if not those of us who want to know him better, to live him better we come with our foibles and mistakes, and seek him. Who is here if not those of us who want to live him better; hear him raise the bar so we can strive to witness him today better than we did yesterday. Humility; we know that it comes to us in many forms. My daily prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in my room is Lord, don’t let my big ego get in your way today.
Often, the minute I go out into ministry, God goes to me—here you want to be holy—and humble—God says, here learn from me through her or him. Next comes a call and I visit a person who has lost every family member, now living alone and lonely, yet gives thanks to God daily for her life. God teaches us that people all around us are opportunities for us to learn how we need to grow in God.
Those who are neglected by our society not only need our material gifts, they also need the dignity that comes with being acknowledged as fully human despite the circumstances of poverty or disabilities, or addiction, imprisonment, or so many of those categories that can dehumanize. Coming to this table with one another reminds us of what God has done for us and who we are, children of a loving and caring God. Is the bar raised high? SURE. Because the Lord believes in us.
Here we are gathered in a shared meal. The meal Jesus provides freely—fully of himself. Here we are, together at the same table in the diversity He has gathered—and we all becomes one in him—the field is leveled.
We walk humbly to the Lord to receive him at his table. Not all present at Mass will or can receive because of certain situations in their lives. Please see me if you are interested in communion, we have a number of ways to welcome you back to His table with us. This week how will we live that Eucharist and walk humbly with the Lord?
Join His journey, Fr. Gordon