Saintliness as a Gift of Humility!

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop

Romans 11:1-2, 11-12, 25-29; Luke 14:1,7-11

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us an important lesson on humility. 

Looking at the competition for places of honor, Jesus teaches humility through a parable.

We should note that the call of Jesus is not to humiliate but to humble ourselves.

Seeking honor follows a self-serving agenda. It arises out of insecurity. Also, one cannot deny the feeling of inferiority that is part of it.

Instead, humility grows out of an abundance of grace. In a way, it points to the authentic love of the self because it involves an honest assessment of oneself while accepting such recognition with no guilt, regret, grumbling, or pride. As such, humility is a virtue of those who are spiritually mature.

Jesus’ teaching on humility is a wonderful strategy for life too. Honor is not sought after but conferred upon us by others in recognition of who we genuinely are. In his teaching, Jesus helps us realize that we should let God and others tell us that we deserve better, and it should never be self-talk. Exaltation comes from God and others. 

For Jesus, accepting a place of lesser importance is a joyful inner initiative. It is a gesture that signals the overcoming of the feeling of insecurity. Inner freedom is about gracefully growing humble. It is also an antidote to the self-importance that many of us suffer from. 

We celebrate the feast of St. Charles Borromeo. A saint known for his reform and fraternity, he lived a life of poverty and humility, which enabled his charity. The Archbishop of Milan was usually seen in rags. He lived a life of prayer, slept little, and ate less. The saint once said, ‘Here all kinds of poor will be housed, outsiders as well as Milanese; men, women, children, because charity knows no distinction of nations, and we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord.’

Following Jesus’ teaching, we understand that saintliness is a gift of humility, just as we find in the life of St. Charles Borromeo. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar