"Every one who exalts himself will be humbled"

Humility. The word is a tough one to grasp in the midst of an era of personal and political grandstanding. We live in an age where seemingly everyone is seeking to be known and to move up the social and economic ladder in every interaction. Social media, cable news, Congress, the White House... all are filled with people who want our attention and want to profit off of it.

However, in our scripture readings for this coming Sunday humility is clearly what the Lord is asking of us. We begin with Sirach telling us: "Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God." These match up with the words of Jesus in the Gospel, where he tells people: "For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." I don't think we need to even ask Jesus who exactly will be the one doing the humbling, for later on, when speaking about being charitable, he says, "For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

So, as we move about in our modern era, let us take pause and look inside our hearts. Are we caught up in the cycle of seeking attention, of seeking wealth, of taking whatever we want, of building up ourselves and our reputations no matter the cost? When moments of humility do come, do we recognize them as a gift from God, reminding us that all we have comes from Him? Do we have an appropriate "fear of God" that humbles us and reminds us that, at any moment, our life may be demanded of us by "God the judge of all", as the Letter to the Hebrews tells us in our second reading?

Let us pray this week that our hearts may grow in their desire and ability to be humble. In a world filled with people seeking to be known and exalted in the here and now, let us remember that, for the Christian, there are more important things. For, based on Christ's words this week, it certainly sounds better to be exalted by God from a place of humility and charity than the other way around...

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings this Sunday's Mass.