The 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 1, 2013
Listen to this homily (mp3 file)
So many conversations I have these days – whether
with fellow Catholics or former Catholics, Protestants, Jews, or unbelievers –
seem to end up zeroing in on Pope Francis. And no matter who they are or
where they’re coming from, people express hope, even excitement. “A breath of
fresh air,” “a promising new moment,” they all seem to say. I agree.
Not surprisingly, Pope Francis came to mind when I
reflected on today’s scriptures. There was the teaching from the Book of Sirach,
“The greater you are, humble yourself the more;” and then there was the parable
from Luke’s gospel about avoiding places of honor at wedding banquets.
Humility is the thread that runs through those readings, and in many ways Pope
Francis seems to define humility. I don’t exactly think of Elton John as a Pope
watcher but he recently called Pope Francis “a miracle of humility in an era of
vanity.” I like that. And it’s true!
Think of how down-to-earth he is, how approachable
and accessible. Think of his decision not to live in the splendor of the Papal
Palace; think of his simple attire without the royal trimmings and trappings; of
his preference for the SUV to the limousine; of his insistence on carrying his
own suitcase and paying his own hotel bill; think of his washing the feet of
those young boys and girls on Holy Thursday; think of his now famous “Who am I
to judge?” The list could go on.
Pope Francis gives humility a good name. And I’m not
talking about the insincere posturing which sometimes passes for humility; no, I
mean real humility that reflects its origins in the Latin word, humus -- the
root for our two English words humus and humor. A humble person knows where he
comes from: from the humus, the dust of the earth. And the humble person
can laugh at himself because he’s clear about who he is and where he is headed –
headed for glory – not because of any personal merit, but simply because of
God’s grace.
Given its importance and its greatness, it’s too bad
the virtue of humility is generally held in such low esteem. In a homily
long ago, St. Augustine spoke simply and compellingly about it. “For those who
would learn God’s ways,” he said, “humility is the first thing, humility is the
second thing, humility is the third thing.” To that I would only add: how
hard it is to learn God’s ways! Learning God’s ways means gaining
perspective on who we are and who God is: letting go of pretensions about our
importance, our achievements, our entitlements, acknowledging that any good we
do is really God’s doing – for the simple reason that any gifts we have are
God’s gifts.
That’s a far cry, isn’t it, from those
self-important people in the gospel parable who grabbed the places of honor at
table. But why shouldn’t they? They were only claiming their due. They were
important, so important that it never crossed their minds that someone even more
important might show up. How wrong they were; and how embarrassed they must have
been. Of course, Jesus didn’t tell the parable to help people avoid
embarrassment; he told it to teach a lesson about humility: don’t imagine
yourself great or important because there will always be someone greater or more
important. And, besides, any importance you may have achieved is not your doing,
it is God’s!
Back to Pope Francis. Not only does he embody
humility, he also beautifully embodies the teaching of Jesus that follows the
parable in today’s gospel. The best way to learn humility, Jesus says, is to
hang out with the humble – with the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
During his recent visit to Brazil for World Youth
Day, Pope Francis visited one of Rio’s most notorious slums. Afterwards, he
spoke simply but powerfully with the young people in words that sound like a
commentary on those words of Jesus about reaching out to the poor and spending
time with them. The Pope asked the young people, “When you give alms do you look
into the eyes of people you are giving alms to? If not, you have not
reached out to those people. You have just tossed them some charity and gone
away. When you give alms, do you touch their hands or just toss them the
coins? If you just toss them the coins, you have not touched them. And if you
have not touched them, you have not truly reached out to them.”
Well, I must confess that I found myself examining
my conscience after hearing that! It’s one thing to give a handout, it’s quite
another to meet, to truly encounter, a poor or needy person. Too often, I think
I settle for the handout. But maybe not the next time….
The pattern for all this, of course, isn’t just Pope
Francis. It’s really Jesus. And when it comes to Jesus, we are the poor,
the crippled, the lame, and the blind. We are! And in the Eucharist,
Jesus never settles for a handout. He reaches out to us, touches us, embraces
us, loves us, and actually takes delight in being in our company!
My friends, what Jesus lovingly does for us at this
and every Mass may we do when we leave this place and go out there!
Father Michael G. Ryan
