Readings: Phil. 1:18-26, Ps. 42:2-3,5, Luke 14:1,7-11
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11)
Pride is one of the seven capital vices (the seven deadly sins). Pride is a serious sin. The Bible teaches that pride was the sin of the angel of light, Lucifer (Satan), which made him attempt to challenge God, and for that, he was thrown down to hell. (Cf. Revelations 12:7-9)
The danger of pride is that it is insusceptible. I could be guilty of pride without even knowing it. The easiest way to detect pride is when you begin to assume that no one is as good, holy, wealthy, knowledgeable or important as you are. When you assume you are the best, you become blind to anyone better than you.
Jesus was invited to dine at the house of a Pharisee and a ruler. On this occasion, Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, and he used it to teach us a very important lesson about pride.
Like these guests who went straight to take the places of honour, pride closes your eyes to the fact that others may be more qualified for those seats. As Jesus puts it, “lest a more eminent man than you be invited and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.” (Luke 14:8-9).
Unfortunately, we only become conscious of our pride after we have suffered a fall; after we are asked to return to a lower position in shame. A true test of our humility is how we react to humiliation by others. Do I flare up? Do I throw back an insult? Do I try to prove I am something? Or do I calmly accept my imperfection, laugh it off, and forgive the other person immediately?
Humility is actually a very rare virtue. As we can see, not many people can handle humiliation calmly, which helps explain why no one likes to admit they are proud. St. Paul says in today’s first reading: “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This should be our motto as Christians: to let Christ live in us so we become His living incarnation.
A simple way to understand pride is to give ourselves credit for what is not ours. To be proud is to assume that we are what we are by our own power or that the Grace of God is no longer responsible for our goodness. One way to know if you are proud is to go to an occasion and assume you are more important than others.
The moment we begin to see ourselves as better than others, the moment we begin to talk badly about others as “good-for-nothings,” God teaches us a lesson; He humiliates us before their very eyes. Like a party host, God politely asks us to step aside, and He does it in so many ways.
The so-called good-for-nothing could become your helper. The one you taught to be a failure could become crucial to your success. The one you considered to be poverty-stricken who used to come to you to beg suddenly becomes richer than you. We see this happen every day.
As one musician sang: “Life is turn by turn.” Don’t ever assume that others do not or will never have what it takes to make it big as well. Being “somebody” today does not give you the right to call a fellow human being a “nobody.”
Let us pray: Almighty ever-living God, increase our faith, hope and charity, and make us love what you command, so that we may merit what you promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saturday of week 30 in Ordinary Time. Liturgical Colour: Green. Bible Study: Phil. 1:18-26, Ps. 42:2-3,5, Luke 14:1,7-11)
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu