Move Up to a Higher Position

Of the 7 capital sins (pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth), the Catechism teaches us that each has their contrary virtue- that each virtue provides a better way.

In St. Luke’s gospel (14:1-7-14) we find Jesus teaching while at a meal- and inviting those present to ponder the place where they should sit. Echoing a theme from Proverbs 25:7, Jesus notes that we cannot bestow honor upon ourselves. Rather, honor is a gift, given to us by others. And the only way to receive the gift- of honor- is by ‘doing for others.’ By practicing hospitality based on generosity, not self-interest. In the story, Jesus drives a wedge (no- a Driver), through the capital sin of “pride” and the contrary virtue of “humility” in order that He might clarify the nuances that can shift us from sin to virtue and back to sin. And in doing so, Jesus invites us to “move up to a higher position."But how do we do this? Especially in a culture that seeks ‘self’ over ‘other.’ In a culture that teaches us that ‘more’ is always better. Where reputation and social status are always to be preferred. In a culture that promotes everything to do with ‘me,’ how can we practice humility? How can we “MOVE UP TO A HIGHER POSITION?” Perhaps the Saints might offer some insights…St. Bernard of Clairvaux was known for the many miracles he worked and would often be faced with excited and frenzied crowds. Through his lifetime, Bernard was a miraculous agent of divine grace for the lame, the blind, the insane, and the possessed. And yet, Bernard was always quick to point out that it was God’s hand that caused the miracle, not his. It is God that they should be honoring. St. Francis de Sales once admitted to St. Vincent de Paul that he often wept when reading the books that he himself had written. Not out of pride, but because he could see the Wisdom of the Lord, the Wisdom given him by the Lord, that was contained in the words. St. Ephrem, the only deacon marked among the 30 male doctors of the Church, once refused St. Basil the Great’s invitation to be ordained to the higher office of priest. And on yet another occasion, Ephrem again refused Basil’s invitation to this time be consecrated a bishop, concocting an angry tirade that caused one bishop to remark to St. Basil that perhaps Ephrem was not cut out for the office of bishop. In the end, Ephrem remained a deacon, and it is told that St. Basil understood Ephrem’s motivations. I suppose that it is safe to say that saints understand the motivations of other saints. In our times, we see other images of humility- particularly in athletics. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a Men’s Conference where the baseball edition of ‘Champions of Faith’ was promoted. In the documentary, professional ballplayers shared publicly about their commitment to Christ- and the works that He has performed in their lives. Or perhaps it is the simplest of gestures, gestures so rarely seen in public today, that are the most striking. The Prayer before Meals, a gesture of thanking God for all that we have been given, when prayed in humility, serves as a powerful sign to others.  “MOVE UP TO A HIGHER POSITION.” As the school year begins for some of us, Jesus today calls each of us to the School of Humility, a school that will not lead us to the front pages of the newspaper; but rather- a school that will lead us to the front seat at the wedding banquet. In the gospel, Jesus reminds us that when we hold a banquet, we shouldn’t only invite our friends or relatives, or wealthy neighbors. Rather, we should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind- and that in doing so, we will be repaid at the Resurrection. Outside of the Eucharistic Celebration, most of us won’t be holding a banquet soon. But perhaps Jesus is calling us to hold a different type of banquet- one in which He is calling us to mend the areas of our lives that need mending- by letting go of our pride and past differences- and being faithful to today; by opening ourselves to one another and really listening to what is being said; by being an instrument of hope in the lives of our family and friends as opposed to a stick; by living a life of service to one another in order that we might hear God’s voice speak to us. A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a short ministry at a downtown warming center. In the beginning, I was excited about working with the homeless, thinking that I would be the one bringing the gift. Each Friday, over a period of several months, I would make the drive downtown, arrive by 5 a.m. and work through mid-morning. My duties were simple: make the coffee, serve oatmeal and donuts, and greet the far too many men and women who would walk through the doors. And I remember sitting down at a table one morning, somewhat exhausted, when one of the homeless men walked up to me. Thinking that he needed something, I made an effort to get up. Instead, he invited me to remain seated, thanked me, and asked me if I would like a coffee and donut. In an instant, I recognized that it was not a homeless man standing before me, but Jesus Christ- inviting me to “MOVE UP TO A HIGHER POSITION.”