Thirtieth Saturday of Ordinary Time

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. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Humility is something we all struggle with. Pride has a way of sneaking up on us and creeping into our lives. It starts out small, just like many other sins, and slowly grows until we think we're better than other people or place an inordinate amount of value on the things we think, say, or do. It also causes us to depend more and more upon ourselves and less and less on God. We start to believe that our reasoning is always correct and if we pray we praise ourselves more than God. Pride leads us to make ourselves into false idols and turn away from God. However, humility keeps us from making all these mistakes because it opens our eyes to our faults and constantly reminds us of our dependency upon God in all things. It also inspires us to give thanks to God because it is by His grace that we are exalted.

Do we exalt God or ourselves? How can we learn humility? What can we do to rid ourselves of sinful pride?

O Lord, make us your humble servants.

Amen.