True Virtue of Humility

Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C

Today’s readings exalt the virtue of humility, not the superficial type, but the real hard type that comes with a hard-line Jesus and a tough form of Christianity. Humility is a Christian virtue but many are often confused as to its meaning. Many people believe humility means self-denigration; in other words, being very critical of oneself, one’s own talents and achievements. The irony is this: whenever we put ourselves down, we actually expect to receive more praises for our achievements. Such humility is undeniably false humility and false humility is a mask for pride. 

On the other hand, what Jesus is trying to tell is that we should not seek any reward, or praise, or thanks or honour for the things that we do. We should not look for positions of honour or for recognition of our achievements. Once we become addicted to praise and human recognition, we would then begin to do everything with a hidden motive. When we do not receive praise and thanks for the things that we do for others, we become hurt and angry. Humility is serving and giving without asking for anything in return. Humility is freedom from needing to please others. Humility is serving and giving for the glory of God and not for our own glory. Ultimately, what is most important is that we find favour with the Lord, as the first reading tells us. The humble man finds favour with the Lord, not because it is a form of reward, but because the humble man allows God to do what he himself cannot do. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines humility as “the virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good”  (CCC 2559). Therefore, man is proud when he suggests that he knows better than God (or his Church).  Or that he can achieve and succeed on his own merits.  Or that he, by his own efforts, can reconcile himself with God for sins committed.  Or that he can go through his day without being in His presence.

Christianity is about Jesus Christ. He is at the centre of God’s salvation. Christianity is about following him and declaring our allegiance to him. It is making Christ known and not just self-promotion. Christianity is not about us. It has something wonderful to say to us, but it is not first and foremost about us. It is not man-centred but God-centred and Christ-centred. This is foundational and basic to the practice of the virtue of humility. This is precisely what is so wrong with the cult of personality - it places man on the pedestal and makes him larger than life, in fact so large as to eclipse God.

Humility calls for self-knowledge. We must recognize both our strengths and weaknesses. Every person is a mixture of both strengths and weaknesses. If we learn to accept both our strengths and weaknesses, we would then be much happier persons. Many people are not comfortable with their weaknesses. We either try to hide our weaknesses or try to criticize others so that we can look stronger. Humility is learning to live with both our weaknesses and strengths. In the same way, we must also recognize that everyone too have their own weaknesses and strengths. If everyone is equally strong, if no one has any weaknesses, we won’t need each other. God is truly wise to bring us all together – both weak and strong. We must always remember that no one can do everything. But everyone can do something.

Humility is also a call to accept our neighbours as persons, indeed as brothers and sisters. Sometimes, we would only communicate with those who share common interests with us, those who speak the same language, those who have the same skin colour, those who are part of our race or status. Humility calls us to recognize everyone as valuable and deserving equal respect. We must not only respect the rich but also the poor. In fact, we may need to give more attention to the poor, the sick and the weak because they are in greater need than the rich, the healthy and the strong.

Let us follow the example of Jesus, the Humble One – he who was Son of God humbled himself to become man, and even humbler still to become a servant of all. If we want to be called Christians, we must be prepared to follow Christ on the way of humility. For we believe, that it is there we will find favour with God.

Hope and Promise in Every Generation

 Prayer Meeting Sharing 13/12/2013

You may came across the term "Baby boomers" in your management paper, which refer to a person who was born during the demographic post-world war II between the years 1946 and 1964 (According to the U.S Census Bureau). While I was surfing the internet that day, one of the web page explains the characteristics of multigenerational  in today's world. The web page provide an overview of different characteristic for different age group in order to deal with the mixed-generation in today's world. 

In today's Gospel, isn't it ironic that in every age, you will find people asking the same question: "What wrong with this generation?" There's always some truth behind this question, to be sure. In our day, even though Christian Catholic remains as the world largest religion, we see Christianity declining throughout Europe and stagnant in the United States, along with a loss of traditional values and a weakening of the family unity. Surely these are areas of concern. But at the same time, there is much to celebrate. World Youth Days continue to draw millions of young people. Social media outlets and lay organizations offer new momentum and accessibility, not to mention the way young adults are taking up social issue like human trafficking, mental illness, child abuse, and conservation. 

Do you seek God's way of peace and wisdom for your life? The prophets remind us that God’s kingdom is open to those who are teachable and receptive to the word of God. Through their obedience to God's word and commandments, they receive not only wisdom and peace for themselves, but they, in turn become a blessing to their children and their offspring as well. Jesus warns the generation of his day to heed God's word before it is too late. He compares teachers and scholars, and those who have been taught, with stubborn playmates who refuse to follow any sort of direction or instruction. 

Jesus’ parable about disappointed playmates challenge us to examine whether we are selective to only hear what we want to hear. The children in Jesus' parable react with dismay because they cannot get anyone to follow their instruction. They complain that if they play their music at weddings, no one will dance or sing; and if they play at funerals, it is the same. This refrain echoes the words of Ecclesiastes 3:4 – "there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance." Are you in tune with the message of God's kingdom? And do you obey it without reservation? Jesus' message of the kingdom of God is good newsto those who will listen and it produces true joy and spiritual freedom for them; but it is also a warning for those who refuse to obey.

Why did the message of John the Baptist and the message of Jesus meet with deaf ears and resistance? It was out of jealously and spiritual blindness that the scribes and Pharisees attributed John the Baptist's austerities to the devil and they attributed Jesus' table fellowship with sinners as evidence that he must be a false messiah. They succeeded in frustrating God's plan for their lives because they had closed their hearts to the message of  John the Baptist and now to Jesus' message. What can make us spiritually dull and slow to hear God's voice? Like the generation of Jesus' time, our age is marked by indifference and contempt, especially in regards to the things of heaven. Indifference dulls our ears to God's voice and to the good news of the gospel. Only the humble of heart can find joy and favor in God's sight. 

Let us ask ourselves this question today, Is my life in tune with Jesus's message of hope and salvation? And do I know the joy of obedience to God word?

If you ever feel frustrated or discouraged about the generations younger than yours, remember Jesus. He looked at his own generation as well as all the others and saw their weaknesses and challenges. But He didn't despair. Instead, he invested his whole life in helping to raise them up. 

Jesus saw the good along with the bad, and even as he corrected the bad he appealed to the good as he called them to holiness. He gave them a vision of what their lives could be like- life in the kingdom of God, if they would only return to Him and accept His salvation. And that vision is what inspired people like Peter and John to follow Him.

Nothing has changed since Jesus first walked the earth. Every generation has its own combination of light and shadow. And that means that in Jesus' eyes, no generation is beyond hope. No matter what a person's social status, political convictions, education, or past history, there is always room for redemption. There is always the opportunity to take one step closer to fulfilling God's call and vision for his or her life. This is how Jesus looks at you as well. You too are part of a generation that he is calling and equipping to build the kingdom. 

Saint Stephen

When you first saw this picture? You might be wondering that what I'm going to share today. Perhaps, you might try to figure it out by observing the picture below and find out the answer.

Yes. He is Saint Stephen. (St.Stephen), the first martyr of the church.

Today, just before I started to pray. Out of sudden, I'm curious about Saint's feast day that is going to celebrate at mass today. So, I just click on the Catholic application that I have downloaded on my phone to find out. Saint of the day is St. Stephen. To be frank, I don't really know much about him. After reading his life stories, it really make me feel impress about  the way that he live for his faith.

The church has celebrated the feast day of St.Stephen on the 26th of December,right after the day of Christmas. His name Stephen means 'Crown' , and he was the first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr's crown. A martyr is someone who is killed or made to suffer greatly because of their religious beliefs.

St.Stephen was a deacon in the early Christian Church.  The apostles had found that they needed helpers to look after the care of the widows and the poor.  So they ordained seven deacons, and Stephen is the most famous of these.

God worked many miracles through St Stephen and he spoke with such wisdom and grace that many of his hearers became followers of Jesus.  The enemies of the Church of Jesus were furious to see how successful Stephen's preaching was.  At last, they laid a plot for him.  They could not answer his wise argument, so they got men to lie about him, saying that he had spoken sinfully against God.  

St. Stephen faced that great assembly of enemies without fear.  In fact, the Holy Bible says that his face looked like the face of an angel. The saint spoke about Jesus, showing that He is the Saviour, God had promised to send.  He scolded his enemies for not having believed in Jesus.  At that, they rose up in great anger and shouted at him.  But St.Stephen looked up to Heaven and said that he saw the heavens opening and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

His hearers plugged their ears and refused to listen to another word.  They dragged St .Stephen outside the city of Jerusalem and stoned him to death.  The saint prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"  Then he fell to his knees and begged God not to punish his enemies for killing him.

After reading his story,I'm touched by his story. He teaches us to forgive our enemies, be strong in our faith and the truth of life. 

Pope Benedict XVI said that He is the role model of new Evangelization. He said: we are called to fix on our gaze on the Son of God, and like St.Stephen, deacon of the first martyr of the church, ''open up our lives to the light that directs us '' on the life's path. (Source: www.news.va)

From now on, St.Stephen will be one of my patron saint in life. 

Humble Beginnings

After a long and busy study week, finally I managed to finished my first paper of exam which was held on  last Wednesday. After exam, probably you will here someone beside you saying 'I should have read the questions properly before addressing it', or some of the highly confident people/students might give you a hint that they did well in this exam paper. Some of you might think that it might sound a bit boastful or highly confident for this particular student.

It reminds me about a friend of mine who told me that She hates to become a loser and she wants to be a winner for every single things(exam,sports games etc.) that she participate in her life. Well, sometimes it will be good that we have confident in something, but excess of it will create hatred or sores to people when somebody heard it. Sometimes people might think that you're boastful.

In this context, it reminds me the word of humbleness. God teaches us to be humble in each of every circumstances that we are dealing or facing. Some of the high position people in the cooperate sector, you might be wondering even I am sitting on a high position in the cooperate ladder, I need to be humble as well? Isn't that I need to show the power that I have to my down people then only I can gain the respect from them? This thinking will cause you a bomb in future. In every situation, we must know that we need to work in a team, or a group. A team or a group is more than 2 or many people which every one in the team must cooperate with each other. Even you are the main host in the team, we should have listen to various opinion to get things done easily. A leader shouldn't be acting or have an attitude that everything they know and they shouldn't be listening to anyone else opinion, or even for their guidance.

In my life, I'm still learning to be a humble person as I could. Learning Curve doesn't end until we can achieve the most humble people on earth.