The Wisdom of Humility
Very often you find that Catholics coming to Mass prefer to sit towards the back, furthest away from the Altar. I wonder why this is. Is it because they want to be anonymous, or do they feel unworthy?
At the parish church of my childhood, there were still some brass nameplates on some of the benches. It was from a time when people could contribute money to the parish and have a reserved place. I always remember before Mass one Sunday the gentleman and his family whose name was on the front pew on the left found someone sitting in their place. This man towered over the interlopers and wouldn’t move until they got the message and vacated their place. He certainly didn’t seek the lowest place. He saw himself entitled to the highest place.
We are presented with two parables in this Sunday’s Gospel. Both spring from Jesus’ presence at meals. He talks about seating arrangements and also who should be invited when we organise meals.
In the first parable, Jesus reminds us “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.” St Benedict, in his Rule, devotes a whole chapter to humility. He listed twelve steps. St Bernard of Clairvaux, when asked to name the four Cardinal Virtues, replies “humility, humility, humility and humility.” He said this because the word “cardinal” means “hinge.” And everything hinges on humility. Humility opens the door to the hearts of others and to the heart of God.
T. S. Eliot, in his poem Four Quartets, comments that “the only wisdom we can hope to acquire/ Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless.” To be humble is to embrace the truth about who we are and our relationship with God. The word humility comes from the Latin “humus” meaning earth or soil. To be humble is to be grounded, to be rooted.
What was Jesus saying to us when he suggests that when we give a banquet or party, we invited those who cannot reciprocate? He is talking of almsgiving. We are to joyfully give with no hope or expectation of return. “No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.” We are building up treasure in heaven.
“God and judge of all, you show us that the way to your kingdom is through humility and service. Keep us true to the path of justice and give us the reward promised to those who make a place for the rejected and the poor. We ask this through Jesus Christ your Son”
(ICEL Collect 1999)
