22 SUNDAY OF THE YEAR 25

22nd SUNDAY: HUMILITY 31 AUGUST 2025, SIRACH 3. 17-18, 20, 28-29; HEB 12. 18-19, 22-24; LUKE 14. 1, 7-14 Thrust: Humble yourself! Indicative: In a world that is neck-deep in self-pride and rides on destructive self-glory, humility is the greatest healing and restoring balm 1. “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” is the central teaching of Jesus in today’s gospel. This is highly relevant and exigent for our present society. 2. The world suffers so much from the lack of humility. There is a boisterous ego that shows itself in unbridled arrogance, false dignity, and cheap popularity. This leads to hurtful and harmful resentments, hatred, conflicts, violence, and eventual destruction. 3. Therefore, it is worthwhile to reflect a little deeper on humility. Humility is not so much feeling or saying, I am despicable, True humility does not despise or reduce one’s worth or dignity, because it is God’s valuable gift. Humility neither trumpets nor rejects the positive in one’s own self. 4. Humility is not seen in a bent head or bent position, but in a bent heart and bent disposition. Humility is not just repeating every time that ‘I am good for nothing', but constantly realising that ‘nothing can be good without God’, ‘nothing good we can do without God’ and discreetly trying to ‘do everything good’. 5. Humility guards one against all self-complacency, self-righteousness, and self-glory. Specifically, humility guards against undue craving for honours and titles, against excessive seeking powers and positions. It is because they can easily puff up one’s spirit, and lead one to pride, arrogance, and self-glory. 6. An excessive craving for them and attachment to them easily make one behave bigger than one’s own real self, contrary to his real self and identity. Thus, they can degenerate into hypocrisy and duplicity, trying to act and pretend. 7. Contrary to the above-mentioned pride, self-seeking, and false humility, True humility constantly realises the fallibility of the self and thus never relies on one’s own ego. True humility readily feels the deep sense of inadequacy and the vanity of self-complacency. 8. True humility sincerely realises how small, restricted, confined and ‘congested’ it is in its own space, and so willingly and reverently makes ‘space’ for God. The more we consciously reduce our ego, the more we grow in humility. True humility manifests itself in deep respect, an unoffensive approach, and a patient listening and understanding of the other 9. True humility readily clings to the Lord, overwhelmed by His tender love and abundant mercy, despite our recurrent imperfections. True humility hastens its steps to embrace the Lord with its weak and tiny hands, making a total surrender of the whole self. 10. If only we have a little ounce of humility, how many problems can be avoided, how many needless arguments, disputes, and conflicts can be resolved, how much beauty and joy can increase in our lives, how much love and fraternity can abound in our relationships, how much authentic and effective we can become in our mission and ministries! Imperative: Blessed is that humility which keeps a correct image of the self, regards the other with esteem, and surrenders to God in simple love!