Tuesday of the 31st week in ordinary time
Philippians 2: 5-11 Luke 14: 15-24
Theme: Humility in life
In the 1st reading of today from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we are reminded that as children of God, we are called to emulate the humility of Christ. He did not mind that he was God, he listened to the voice of his father and accepted to be one with us in all things except sin. In the life of Jesus, we see humility at it’s best. That is why he could teach about humility, without fear of contradiction. All those who humble themselves will be exalted. This is the message of Christ to all his followers, including in our own time. The very important question today from our liturgy is, how well are you doing in the practice of humility in your daily life?
Pride and arrogance do not take anyone far, rather it will bring you hate, sorrow and insults. This is an opportunity for us to make amends, if we live a life of pride and arrogance, like some of us do sometimes. One thing we must always remember is the fact that whatever we have that is making us proud and arrogant, is simply a gift from God, and he can also decide to take it back. Nobody loses anything because he or she is humble, but one can lose a lot of things when people refer to you as proud and arrogant. We are all encouraged today to emulate Christ by living a humble life that is founded on selflessness, service and the common good of all. Never think you are too old to change for the better, remember, when there is will there is always a way. All you need to do is to make sincere effort, and God will bless all the effort you make to become a humble and better person.
In the gospel reading of today from St Luke, the parable of Jesus about those invited to the great banquet can easily be centred around the Jewish people. However, we can also use all those who go by the name Christian as a case study in this instance. This is because just like the Jews, we are all chosen people of God, and how much impact is the word of God making in our lives as children of God. It is expected that we must be ready for the great banquet, by making the right choices in our daily lives that will be good and pleasing to God. As we continue to strive to humble ourselves and be good, may almighty God bless you in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.