Saturday of the 30th week in ordinary time year A
Rom. 11:1-2a.11-12.25-29 Luke 14: 1.7-11
Theme: Be humble
Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, a Bishop. He is the patron saint of clerics and other spiritual leaders. He dedicated himself to the service of the church at the young age of twelve, and he was convinced about his desire to serve God in sincerity of heart. Even when his father died and things became difficult for him as the bread winner of his family, he continued to trust in God and remained resolute about his service to humanity. In his life we see a man who had strong faith in God and did not allow the difficulties he encountered in life to change his service and dedication to God almighty. His life should strengthen us as followers of Christ, when we encounter the difficulties and challenges of life, giving up should never be an option. All we need is to trust in God, pray, continue to work hard, and leave the rest to God. He knows best how to deal with whatever situation we find ourselves in in life, if only we can just trust him and be patient with him too.
In the life of St. Charles Borromeo, we see what it means to be a humble person. Especially at the beginning of his earthly journey, when things were going on very well for his family, he gladly made up his mind to dedicate his life to the service of God. So, when Jesus talks about the importance of humility in today’s gospel reading, he is simply reminding us of what we should do in our lives as followers of Christ. The practice of humility is a priceless gift that money cannot buy. When we practice it in our lives, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We see humility in the life of Jesus Christ and in the lives of many of our Ancestors in faith, if not all of them. Strictly speaking, when you are described as a proud and arrogant person, many people are more comfortable keeping you at arm’s length, while the opposite is what happens in the life of a person who is humble. Humility is a virtue we must pray that God grants us in our lives.
The saying of Jesus that all those who humble themselves will be exalted, is very true and those who exalt themselves will be humbled. We pray that through the intercession of St. Charles Borromeo, God will grant us the grace of humility, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.