From The Bishop

The readings for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time speak about the virtue of humility. The Latin root of this word is humus, which means ‘earth’. So a humble person is one who is lowly and truly grounded. We find the perfect example in Jesus. In the Gospel of St. Mark, Our Blessed Lord reminds His disciples that they are to be servants not lords who feel that they are high and mighty. The Lord says, “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” Greatness is not seen in power and prestige; it is found in humble service. The Second Reading reminds us that Jesus, the great high priest, became lowly and understands our condition, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.” In His humility Jesus extends great mercy to us. Looking to both Isaiah (First Reading) and to Jesus (Gospel), we see that humility also requires sacrifice. We know that the opposite of humility is pride. It is one of the seven deadly sins. Unfortunately, this vice seems to be overshadowing the virtue of humility in many people today. This is especially true in those called to leadership positions. Servant leadership in the home, Church and society is what we need today. It is so easy to be puffed up with pride rather than grounded in lowliness. Unlike the disciples who asked Jesus for glory, we need to daily ask the Lord for the virtue of humility. “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”