Cycle C -- Homily -- 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time -- 28 August 2022

Cycle C – Homily – 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – 28 August 2022

Also called the 12th Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary I                                           Lectionary II

Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29                       Sirach 10:12-18 (or Proverbs 25:6-7)  with  Psalm 112

Psalms 68:4-7, 10-1                               Jeremiah 2:4-13  with  Psalm 81:1, 10-16

Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24                       Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Luke 14:1, 7-14                                     Luke 14:1, 7-14

(NB:  In some versions/translations of the Bible, the Book of Sirach – also known as Ecclesiasticus [not to be confused with Ecclesiastes] – is found in the Apocryphal section between the Old Testament and the New Testament.)

Humility – what is it about that word?  Does it make you cringe sometimes?  It does me!  Do you hate it when someone says, “In my humble opinion…”?  I do.  I suspect that is because we all know that that person’s humble opinion is anything but humble.  Or at least so we judge!  Do you know people who use this pseudo-humility as a means of fishing for compliments?  I do.  And, most of us have probably done it ourselves to a greater or lesser extent.  It seems to be rather human.

OK – We have all been there.  We have all felt those feelings of humble frustration, which is certainly not humble!  We all also know that to strive for humility is probably the best way in the world to achieve anything but humility.  It comes down to strutting around saying, “I’m so proud of how humble I am today!”

But, today’s Scripture readings almost give us a mixed message here!  In Sirach the author (Ben Sira) states clearly, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.  Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.  In other words, if we are really anxious to be loved (rather than to love) and if we are really interested in finding great favor with God, we should be humble.  So, are we actually striving to be great by being non-great?

And, in Luke we hear the instructions on how we should always approach the lowest place at the banquet table so that we will not be embarrassed and so that we will be asked to move up and then everyone will notice our importance!  This sounds again like we are striving for greatness by our non-greatness.

All of this brings us to two questions:  What is humility?  And, how do we achieve true humility without falling into the trap of pseudo-humility or false humility (that is, ulterior motives under the guise of apparent humility)?

It is easier to state first what humility is not.  Humility is not pretending to be the slime of the earth.  Humility is not beating our breasts and impressing people with our “woe is me, a wretched sinner” attitude.  Humility is not denying our achievements in the hopes that someone will contradict us and tell us how great we really are.  Humility is not wearing a sign on the seat of our pants that says “kick me” nor is it listing our occupation as professional doormat.  Not one of those things above is true humility.  Also, humility is not giving with the expectation of receiving – whether goods, or services, or recognition, or praise, or anything else.

Oh, wait a minute!  In Sirach we hear that if we do things humbly, we will be recognized.  In Luke we hear the same thing.  Ah, but there is a difference!  Notice that in both Sirach and Luke, the statement is based on knowledge and not on expectation.  It is not that we do something humbly expecting to receive recognition.  It is doing that same something with the knowledge that we will be recognized.  At the same time, we cannot have recognition as our motive.  It may not come.  This becomes very confusing.

Perhaps we ought to use a definition of humility and see how this plays out.  One definition of humility that I really like is the total acceptance of things exactly the way they are.  Now, that is an interesting definition!  Acceptance, this is God’s ordained world.  Things are the way they are.  If you are an inventor, you are an inventor.  If you are a dishwasher, you are a dishwasher.  If you are an artist and you do not create great art because you are humble, you are not humble at all!  You have not accepted God’s gift.  (Sounds like those various parables about the talents, doesn’t it?)

If you are the greatest sailor on the lake but you do not enter the race because you are too humble to win, you are not humble at all.  Of course, you are not required to enter the race, but what are your motives for not doing so; because you are too humble or because you just don’t want to?  The first reason (because you are too humble) is false pride and not humility at all (and a completely invalid reason for doing or not doing anything); the second reason (because you don’t want to) is an honest exercise of free will (and a totally valid reason for not entering the race).

The Olympic athletes accept the fact that they are good.  If they didn’t, they certainly would not be able to go forth.  We are required to accept our gifts and to recognize our gifts.  Humble acceptance does not mean that we cannot strive for more.  Again, look at our athletes.  Not one of them started out with a gold medal around his or her neck.  But they did start out with an acceptance of their talent.  Humility requires that we do the same.  That is an acceptance of things exactly the way they are.

Paul said, “By the grace of God, I am what I am.”  And he accepted the fact that he could do great things.  And he did them.  He did not do great things for his own recognition but rather for the honor and glory of God.  Nevertheless, he accepted things as they were.

Can we be like Paul?  Can we totally accept things (God’s gifts) exactly the way they are?  When complimented for an achievement, do we say, “It was nothing” (a lie!) or do we say, “Thank you!” (A humble recognition of acceptance).

Will we receive recognition for our acceptance of things the way they are?  Maybe in this world; maybe not until the next.  But, at the same time, if our goal is recognition, we have defeated the purpose of our acceptance!  It does not work that way.  We accept things, we do what is right, and as Sirach says, we will find favor with God.  That is our end point.

The 12-Steppers are all familiar with the concept of doing the next right thing.  This is humility.  What is the next right thing?  Composing a great musical piece?  Cleaning the bathroom?  Going to the store?  Stopping at the scene of an accident and calling for help?  Whatever it is, that next right thing is an acceptance of things exactly the way they are and is an example of true humility.  The task is done; not for personal gain but because it is in front of us and because we have the talent to do something about it.

Before she died writer Erma Bombeck said that when she got to the Pearly Gates and God asked her what she had brought with her, she wanted to be able to say, “Absolutely nothing!  I used every talent you gave me!”  We should strive to be able to say the same.

How are we going to achieve this humility?  Well, not one of us is going to achieve perfect humility and even accepting that is in itself humility!  But, we will move along this pathway toward humility by being aware of who and what we are, by accepting who and what we are, by accepting our talents and our foibles, by accepting the challenges of life, by striving to remove our ulterior motives from our words and our deeds, by seeking always to do the next right thing in front of us, by acting and thinking without a primary motive of personal gain but with the motive that we are doing the next right thing, and finally by thinking and acting with the full knowledge that God knows us completely and God does indeed recognize exactly what we are doing and how and why we are doing it.

Dr Roberta M Meehan, D.Min