SAINT MAKER

My son, conduct your affairs with humility. – Sirach 3:17

Complainers rarely leave the community. Leaders keep praying, “Lord, please inspire Kulas to join the Wrath of God Prayer Group!” But he doesn’t. Why doesn’t Kulas leave? Because God has designated him to be the saint maker for your group. The only way to learn how to love is to have a Kulas in your life. When you arrive in heaven, you’ll realize that Kulas is one of the biggest blessings of the community. Through him, a lot of people grow in love, patience, and forgiveness.

There are three stages of growth in one’s community life. At the first stage, you see people as angels. At the second stage, you see people as demons. At the third stage, you see people as human beings with their own brokenness and struggles.

The reason for the shift? Humility. You see your own brokenness. You realize that the very things that you hate in others are the same flaws you have. By embracing your weaknesses, you’re able to embrace the weaknesses of others.

Humility is the only doorway to the third stage of community life. The root word humility is humus or soil. To be humble, you need to die and be buried in the earth. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)

Reflect: Who is the Kulas in your life? Or are you a Kulas in your community?

Lord, humble me to embrace my own weaknesses and accept others as they are.

St. Giles, abbot, pray for us.

The Book of Sirach reminds us that true wisdom and power is always accompanied by humility. The greater the wisdom, the more humility is needed. In seeking the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, we need to admit our own inadequacies and trust God. Having a humble heart is a great service to us and those whom we serve.

Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

17 My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. 18 Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. 20 What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not. 28 The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise. 29 Water quenches a flaming fire, and alms atone for sins.

PSALM 

True humility teaches us that we are on equal footing with others. In fact, humility influences us to expect others to be treated better than ourselves. We see this trait in the saints and their sensitivity to their own sinfulness. The closer we grow to God, the more aware we become of our sin and its infinite offense to His love for us. The Scriptures remind us that God looks for men and women who have humble and contrite hearts. May we make it to His short list.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

Luke 14:1, 7-14

1 On a sabbath, Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. 7 He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, 9 and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. 10 Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. 13 Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; 14 blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

think: What do you need to give up to gain true humility?

______________________________    

Read the Bible in one year - Psalm 36-40   

 

 

A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT

Subtle it may seem, there is in our psyche an irrepressible need for a sense of entitlement. Jesus sensed this need such that He called the attention of the host and the guests of the banquet. He noticed that the host invited only his friends, kinsmen, and rich neighbors.

The host obviously was selective and choosy with his guests. That is why he received Jesus’ admonition. But not only the host. Jesus equally reminded the guests at the feast to watch out for this sense of entitlement.

This sense of entitlement makes us think we are more special than others. We think that our value is more than our actual worth. We think that we deserve better treatment because we belong to a better class of dignitaries. When such mentality pervades, even the slightest action of where to sit is affected. It feeds on the person’s make-believe royal mentality.

I enrolled in a conservatory of music in one of the universities in Manila. In the audition, screening, and processing of documents, I tried to be discreet about being a priest so as not to be given special treatment. When I went to the registrar’s office, the person attending to me discovered that I am a priest. He then said, “Father, you need to submit one more requirement—a certificate of good moral character.”

Right there and then, I felt a rush of revolt inside of me. At the back of my mind: “Is being a priest not enough to be considered someone with a good moral character?”

Feeling disappointed at not being able to finish the registration that day, I went to the chapel. I asked Jesus in prayer, “Why did I feel bad?” Full of humility, I realized that my disposition was tainted with a sense of entitlement. Fr. Haluendo Amit, OCD

------- REFLECTION QUESTION -------

Look back at the times when you felt that you deserved some kind of entitlement. What do you realize now?

Whenever I feel that I deserve something out of a sense of entitlement, convict me, O Lord. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________