Seat of humility
Gospel Reflection
So, Jesus went to a party hosted by a very important person. Now, this was a Sabbath, meaning, it was a day of rest for the Jews and they are very strict on that.
So, as we continue on reflecting on today's Gospel, let us look into ourselves and honestly assess as to where the owner of the house would ask us to seat on the day of judgment.
This reflection was shared with the sisters of the Carmelites of Our Lady (CarmOL) in their conventual mass today, 30 October, in Porta Coeli Community, New Manila, Quezon City. Photo by Will Bolding in Unsplash.
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“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,
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.
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.”
So, Jesus went to a party hosted by a very important person. Now, this was a Sabbath, meaning, it was a day of rest for the Jews and they are very strict on that.
Before today's reading, on this same party, Jesus healed a man who had some swelling on some parts of his body, probably because of a heart disease. He healed this man as a way of teaching the people that the greatest commandment is love, but of course, this already raised some eyebrows, and perhaps even some whispers on doing harm to Jesus as he was basically challenging their tradition.
Now, our particular reading continues this event, and well, Jesus was observing the guests and noticed how they were behaving. Apparently, since the host was a very important person, it follows that his guests were also very important people and so they all want the best seats in the house. It is their privilege, they must been telling themselves, to get the best view or the seat closest to the host. But just where exactly is the best seat?
Feeling important is a big deal for the world. For many, it is a source for to boost one's self-esteem. Today, in this age of social media - with TikTok and Facebook, it is all about likes and shares and comments and interactions. Engagement. The more engagement you get, it is assumed that you have more influence, and so you are more important in the eyes of people. Even if you really have no influence and people just go to your page to laugh, still, one way or the other, you still are a celebrity and still has some kind of influence, and thus, still very important. Everyone wants to be an influencer because aside from the money and the material perks, there is also this feeling of being important, of being respected, of being heard. This is what it means to be important in this world, but in the world of Christ, it is the opposite.
The best seat is the seat of humility. as St. John the Baptist would say: He must increase, I must decrease. (John 3:30)
Our lives are no longer ours and it is no longer about us. It is about Jesus, not us, and when we make ourselves little, Christ indeed will be magnified in our lives. and instead of us becoming famous, God will be glorified.
So, what is the best seat?
Feeling important is a big deal for the world. For many, it is a source for to boost one's self-esteem. Today, in this age of social media - with TikTok and Facebook, it is all about likes and shares and comments and interactions. Engagement. The more engagement you get, it is assumed that you have more influence, and so you are more important in the eyes of people. Even if you really have no influence and people just go to your page to laugh, still, one way or the other, you still are a celebrity and still has some kind of influence, and thus, still very important. Everyone wants to be an influencer because aside from the money and the material perks, there is also this feeling of being important, of being respected, of being heard. This is what it means to be important in this world, but in the world of Christ, it is the opposite.
The best seat is the seat of humility. as St. John the Baptist would say: He must increase, I must decrease. (John 3:30)
Our lives are no longer ours and it is no longer about us. It is about Jesus, not us, and when we make ourselves little, Christ indeed will be magnified in our lives. and instead of us becoming famous, God will be glorified.
So, what is the best seat?
The best seat for us is the seat of humility, for we are called to serve and in the party, the best seat is reserved for Him - Christ in our poor brothers and sisters; Christ in our brothers and sisters in prison; Christ in the sick, in the frontliners, in our health workers who labor day and night in order to ensure that we would be safe from COVID-19; Christ in the least, the lost, the last, and the forgotten.
So, as we continue on reflecting on today's Gospel, let us look into ourselves and honestly assess as to where the owner of the house would ask us to seat on the day of judgment.
This reflection was shared with the sisters of the Carmelites of Our Lady (CarmOL) in their conventual mass today, 30 October, in Porta Coeli Community, New Manila, Quezon City. Photo by Will Bolding in Unsplash.
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