August 29, 2010 : 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time year “C”
I have heard it said that to forgive requires a human to make an active choice; a conscious decision of the will. I wonder if a similar principle holds true for humans and humility? Neither of these God-like attributes seem to come naturally for us. First impulses and “survival of the fittest” instincts appear to lead us in the opposite direction. We stake out our claims, protect them, seek to improve them and, quite naturally, vie for the best of everything! Our scriptures today abundantly extol the benefits of humility. Just as forgiveness must be an exercise of the will, it seems that humble choices must be made consciously and attentively. Our unfailing example of humility is, of course, God. And while Sirach and St. Luke provide convincing human examples of the benefits derived from humble choices, it is the Letter to the Hebrews that sheds the clearest light upon the greatest humility in today’s texts. The “kenosis” of Jesus, that self-emptying of God in the mystery of Incarnation culminating in crucifixion is, literally, humility personified for us. This example of God pushes all reasonable expectations of humble choices beyond comprehension. We can only hope to faintly mirror the example of Jesus. This is, indeed, our challenge: to live with enough awareness to make consciously humble choices. In this way we learn from the Teacher and we bear witness to our loving God.
Sister Lori High: slh.annunciation@gmail.com
Sisters of St. Mary of Namur . 241 Lafayette Avenue . Buffalo, New York 14213 . (716) 884-8221