Readings:  Sir 3:17-20, 28-29; Heb 12:18-19; 22-24; Lk 14:1, 7-
14

There was a story told of a visiting diplomat who wanted to impress Golda
Meir, the prime minister of Israel. The diplomat was saying all the lofty words to
Golda. However, the prime minister brought him back down to earth with the words:
“Oh, don’t be so humble – you’re not that great.” Golda was correct. Humility does
not consist in our lavish words. The term is better understood from its Latin root,
humus which means “earth.” Humble people are often down-to-earth people. They
are those who realize that they have their feet on the ground and know who they are
and where they stand in relation to God and others.

Demeaning oneself does not necessarily equal humility. However, behaving
as if the universe revolved around oneself can be the direct opposite of this virtue.
Addressing the subject of humble manners today, our first reading and the Gospel
suggest a practical catechesis. The first reading demands that we be trustworthy in
dealing with others. This means distancing oneself from trading arrogance either in
words or actions or not indulging the privilege that wells around our lives. The
reading suggested this intent for us by touching on what we know as being loved.
Here, the humble, joyful, happy life comes from caring to ensure that folk who work
with us do not feel less matched in walking along with us.

In the Gospel, Jesus expands the lesson on humble manners. He gives a
sermon at the meal. Mealtimes are always exciting, and it is not uncommon for
people to lay down their guard with the wining and dining. Then the well-to-do
personalities watched Jesus closely. But why? This was a strange thing to do in a
culture where attending and sharing meals evoked sentiments of joy, affection, and
companionship. Like all proud people, we forget to mind our own manners. We often
act without honor, indulge in over-inflated self-images, and seek to find faults in
others. The proud are too forgetful to remember that those who always look up to
God hardly have the time to look down on others. We also look down on others by
always taking the best spots for ourselves. Can we try to re-examine such poor
habits?

Furthermore, today’s Christians, who work hard with all that God’s grace has
gifted us, need to be more thoughtful. We must go beyond learning history as past
events. In redemptive events of history, some things do not just pass. They
inaugurate a renewal. We should live out the spirituality of the renewal
inaugurated for us in Jesus Christ. The new covenant given to us and the new
Jerusalem of our call must include the renewal of love, unity, and inclusion among
us. In today’s divided and fragmented world, Christians must live in ways that treat
everyone as a firstborn child.

Today, unlike the proud who exalt themselves, “watch” on Jesus, and suspect
Jesus’ gospel message, we should know that Jesus, too, is watching us. Jesus
expects that we give better examples. This life’s successes, blessings, and
breakthroughs can turn God and our neighbor into enemies unless we each watch
our treatment of other people. We can so mismanage our goodwill that we care only
for the people who provide us with mutual utility. Then we deny our invites to the
lame, the blind, or those unlike us in other ways. We may check and re-check our
invitation cards for who qualifies for our kindness. Today, do we not indicate that our
parties are “strictly by invitation?” Yes, we do our good to those who are our good-
doers, but Jesus asked us for the opposite (Mt 25:31-46).

As Igbos from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi Enugu, or Imo, we are mostly
Christians. We are a redeemed and grossly blessed people. Historically and
culturally, we are descendants of our amazing forebears. We have been made
migrants in our land, displaced and disinherited in many ways, yet we remain
irreplaceable. We need to be humble. With every blessing, we should be more
thoughtful in how we relate to one another.