22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Lk 14:1.7-14 Humbling moments Do you remember the most embarrassing moment in your life? I am sure Budee still does tothis very day. Budee, eldest son of my friend, the late Sonny Sison, accompanied me once to Abra. When we reached the SVD Mission house, the late Fr. Artemio Rillera, SVD whom we fondly called “Manong” was there to welcome us. He was in his T-shirt and he was sweeping the floor. Thinking that “Manong” was the janitor or the gardener of the place, Budee called “Manong” to help him bring my bags. “Manong” humbly obliged. At supper, Budee was surprised “Manong was also there, and even led the prayers! Imagine the embarrassment of Budee later on when he found out that “Manong,” the person whom he ordered to carry the bags, was the provincial superior (he has become the bishop of Abra) but still, he remains humble, unassuming and gentle. Knowing “Manong,” I would not be surprised if he would still be sweeping floors or carrying bags for others. *** The Gospel today (Lk 14:1.7-14) speaks about humility, with a warning that those who exalt themselves will be humbled. It is very consoling to know that our God is a God who is on the side of the humble and the lowly. The righteous and the humble will be exalted, while the wicked and the proud will be humbled. The lowly will be blessed. How did the book of Proverbs say it? “Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor” ( Prov 18,12). *** It is the humble not the proud and the loud that inspire us. Last Sunday while waiting for my car to be fixed in Banawe, a little boy kept pestering me to buy pranela cloth. Not wanting to disappoint him, I told him that I’ll just give him P10 for him to keep. What he told me next struck me. In a most humble way, he said: Sir, I am trying to make a living with honest work. That is what my parents always taught me.” He said it with such dignity and sincerity. I ended up buying P100 worth of pranela which I did not really need, but which I thought would give encouragement to this little boy who still holds on to such beautiful values of humility, honesty and hard work. *** Sept.8 is the birthday of Mama Mary, the lowly handmaid of the Lord who chose the path of hiddenness and humility. She could have grabbed the limelight during Her son’s public life. After all, she was the mother, but she did not. In fact, she is rarely mentioned in the gospels. Even now, she chooses to appear and bring her messages to the world through the little ones and the lowly. *** A Moment with the Lord Lord, help me to always choose the path of the lowly and the humble of heart, not the path of the proud and the loud. Amen.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 14:49:21 +0000
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