HOMILY FOR 15TH THURSDAY OF ORDINARY TIME: YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: HUMBLE AND GENTLE
BY: Bishop Gerald M Musa
St. Elizabeth Seton says, “The gate of heaven is very low; only the humble can enter it.” She was inspired by the teaching of Jesus, who enjoins His disciples to follow His humble pattern of life when He said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29). Jesus was indeed a gentle giant. He had all the powers in heaven and on earth, and yet He treated people with tenderness and compassion. “Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength,” says St. Francis de Sales.
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Humility is the first stage of life in the spirit, because to be humble is to be Christ-like. Genuinely humble people are not many, and so people today attempt to distinguish between genuine humility and a false sense of humility. For example, it is said that genuine humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
A humble person knows himself well—acknowledges his strengths and accepts his weaknesses and failures; someone who respects other people; someone who is willing to learn from others; one who accommodates the opinion of others; one who is willing to take corrections and is disposed to receive criticisms; someone who sees something good in others. A Chinese proverb says, “Be like the bamboo, the higher you grow, the deeper you bow.” Do I consider myself to be humble, or am I consumed by pride?
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