Saturday – 30th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Luke14:1, 7-11

Humble Pie

Entrance to the Tomb, Church of Holy Sepulchre  

We live in a very narcissistic, selfish ME society these days!  We see it on the news, in ads, in movies and in so many random interactions at the store or in line for food.  There is this singular drive to be #1 – to be the best teacher, athlete, politician, to have the most power or possessions, the biggest house and the most adulation, to have less wrinkles and more money!  And apparently it is all at the expense of others; it doesn’t matter who I have to step on or use in order to get there.  It’s all about ME!

We see it in today’s parable!  Someone so full of himself thinking he deserves the place of honor at a wedding banquet, the best seat in the house where all can see how important and special he is!  And then the humiliation when someone more important arrives and he is relegated to a lower spot!  How embarrassing when we let our pride and self-importance get in the way!

What’s missing here?  The virtue of humility, the realization that I should put the needs of others above my own.  That we are called to serve others, not to be served!  It takes us back to the Last Supper where Jesus puts on the towel of a servant and proceeds to wash the feet of the Apostles and then challenges them to make that their mission – to serve God by being of service to others, to make others’ needs more important than our own.

I remember gathering with my Mom and family for the first family dinner after my Dad passed away and taking his chair at the dining room table. It was a very humbling experience for me, a feeling that there was no way I deserved to take his chair, his place!  But then I proceeded to tell a string of my corny jokes and I suddenly realized, in that moment, that I sounded just like Dad.  And I realized that, from that moment on, I carry him with me inside.  And as often I sit in his chair (it still will never be ‘my’ chair), he is always with me, guiding me, inspiring me, encouraging me.  And so it is with God!

It’s a different kind of Halloween we celebrate tomorrow, a bit of normalcy finally as we continue to reconnect with life and friends.  So be kind and generous to the little ones.  They are still having a tough time dealing with this changed world and the stress it puts on all of us.  Think of them and give them something to smile about!

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