Hello beautiful readers 😅
REFLECTION OF 22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C( Readings:1ST READING: Sirach 3:17-20.28-29, Responsorial Psalm Psalm 68, 2ND READING: Hebrews 12: 18-19.22-24, ACCLAMATION: Matthew 11:29, GOSPEL Luke 14:1.7-14)
The central theme of today's reading revols around humility. Humility is the mother of all virtue. According to st Augustine "Humility makes men Angels and pride makes Angels devil". The only way we can acquire favour from the Lord is by putting on the virtue of humility (book of sirach). Whatever we have is given to us by God, therefore we cannot boost of anything. God's gift to Human was given to us so that we can serve him and our neighbors in humility.A humble person is one who serves others, who others turn to when in need and Jesus demonstrated this when he washed the feet of his disciples on holy Thursday. Today we see Jesus in a supper sitting and observing the guest, how the chose places to sit, Christ used this opportunity to teach them using a parable. The parable he used is divided into two parts. The first part centers on humility, this part teaches us about that idiom that says "pride goes before a fall" he he humbles himself shall be exalted and he who exalts himself shall be humble. It is only to the humble that God reveals Himself and in them He is glorified. Christ Himself set this example when he came to the earth to save us. He is God, yet He does not cling to His equality with God, He humbles Himself to the extent that he was born in Bethlehem a very small town and was born in a manger where domestic animals sleep in, he is a king yet he chose to be born as an ordinary person, so that we will see that our God is lowly and holy; He is of low estate, taking the form of a slave. Pride is a canker-worm that has eaten deep into our hearts as humans; it is an evil growth that denies us the favour God desires to bestow on us. Despite all these we know about pride we still go ahead boosting of what we can never give our self, boosting of wealth that we will leave behind oneday, our soul also belong to God and our soul is answerable to him anytime, anywhere and anyday. The preacher in Ecclesiastes says "vanity of vanities all is vanity. In last 3 Sundays the holy mother church told us a parable of the rich fool ,The rich man in the parable foolishly thinks the crop he harvests will give him happiness and so he wants to store it for himself. It turns out he will not be able to do so, because life is a gift from God, who can take it at any time. The man would have been wise if he had instead decided to share his riches with the less privileged, poor and hungry. His values are opposed to the Kingdom values for which Jesus stands. Christian existence is about accumulating spiritual wealth, not material wealth.
The 2nd part of today's parable teaches us to be generous to our neighbors. Jesus teaches us to be generous enough to associate with the poor, needy and homeless in the society. Humility is coined from the Latin word "humilis" meaning Soil and this mean that after every pride in this world we will still return to soil because our flesh was formed with soil. Peace be with you