5 June 2016, 10th Sunday, YEAR C.
TITLE:
“ Next …” /”Humility”
● 1 Kings 17:17-24 ● Psalm 30
● Galatians 1:11-14a, 15ac, 16a, 17, 19
● Luke 7:11-17 ●
[__01__] In this Gospel we read that “God has visited
his people.” Also, we read that our
Savior sees, recognizes, welcomes the widow of Nain.
It is certainly good news for the widow of
Nain that the Lord “sees” and “heals” her son. It is not only good news but
also surprising news.
As a widow, this mother
would have had few rights – few guarantees – little insurance …and no
appointment.
[__02__] How do you and I negotiate and
schedule time with doctors and other
professionals?
On the one hand, we obtain referrals, and ask favors of “to get us in”, do we not?
On the other hand, in an
urgent case, we may go to the Mountainside or Saint Barnabas or Sloan Kettering
or any Emergency Room and wait our turn.
“Next”. “The physician will see you now.”
In both cases, the
scheduled and the unscheduled, we feel justified AFTER we have been served and
seen.
Furthermore, we would
feel rebuffed / rejected, if someone else were to go ahead of us.
The son of the widow of
Nain was just such a “someone”, someone
without a chart or history.
The widow’s son is not
selected due to visibility. Jesus sees her, recognizes the widow and her son in
their obscurity.
[__07__] The widow’s son and Jesus (the Son of God /
Son of Mary) share at least one common aspect – obscurity, lack of brand-name recognition.
Father
Ronald Knox, in a sermon about “obscurity” and “humility” points that one of
the principal charges – legal charges – against Jesus is his obscurity.[1]
The
Pharisees and others reject our Savior, seeing no credentials, no
qualifications, no formal training.
Yet, somehow, Jesus is knowledgeable to debate with them.
Their
charge was that the Jesus had been operating a ministry without legitimacy,
without their approval.
They
arrest him.
“Pontius
Pilate will see you now.”
[__08__] In
the encounter with the widow, we see Jesus having compassion on a person in a
desperate situation. We might think this
desperation would easily gain his attention.
On the other hand,
sometimes the person in need is easy to reject or ignore. Such a person is easy
to accept and love when I am living a life of humility.
Jesus possesses the
humility to receive and help her.
Pope Francis wrote
earlier this year about the connection between love and humility in his
exhortation, “The Joy of Love” or “Amoris
Laetitia”
Pope Francis reflects in
one section on St. Paul’s famous saying about the kindness, the generosity of
love. Yes, the Pope also believes that a
lover is called to be “gentle and thoughtful”.
This indicates that love is neither rude nor impolite.
The Holy Father reminds
us that this “politeness” or “kindness”
of love involves more than words or actions in public. That is, this true
politeness, kindness and humility begins with my understanding of myself.
If I understand myself,
if I have a repentant and humble heart, then I can love others.
The Pope writes: “[Love] is incompatible with
a negative attitude that readily points out other people’s shortcomings while
overlooking one’s own. A kind look helps us to see beyond our own limitations, to
be patient, and to cooperate with others, despite our differences.”
(Francis, Amoris Laetitia, n. 100)
[__09__] Humility would keep us all off camera and away
from the spotlight.
But,
what is humility? Father Ronald Knox
provides a useful definition and example. The widow of Nain demonstrates this
humility, putting her son first, asking nothing for herself.
Father
Knox writes that true humility is a quite different thing from “modesty ” – the
modesty which forbids us to boast, to brag, to forward it to – Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube.
True
humility is one that allows us to accept – even to desire – obscurity as Good
News.
Jesus
takes pity on the widow due to her obscurity.
Her humility brings her closer to Christ the Physician.
Our own
suffering – our own distress and anxiety – can also bring us closer his
presence. Jesus the Physican – through
our prayer - will see us now. You are
next. I am next.
Jesus, our Physician and
Healer and Savior, will see us now.
[1]
Knox, Ronald, “The Charm of our Obscurity” Pastoral
and Occasional Sermons (1940) San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2002. pp. 221-224.
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