Friday of the Twenty-eighth week in ordinary time
(Ephesians 1:11-14; Luke 12:1-7)
In his recorded homily last Sunday Bishop Robert Barron preached
on the virtue of humility. He said that
humility is the source of sanctity because pride is the greatest of vices. In demonstrating this spiritual truth, Bishop
Barron featured Naaman, the Syrian general.
Despite his prominence, Naaman took the advice of an Israeli slave girl
and the second-hand instruction from the prophet Elisha. The result was not just his physical healing
but his coming to know and praise the true God.
In today’s gospel Jesus recommends the same humility. He tells his disciples to beware of the
leaven or hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He
means that the Pharisees try to make themselves look important before
others. Their pretension, however, will
end in the loss of their souls if it is not corrected. The Pharisees and everyone else must
acknowledge their weaknesses before God and neighbor as they pray for strength
to overcome them.
We like to reflect on our strengths – good looks,
discipline, sharp intellect, what have you.
In acknowledging these, we should give thanks to God for both natural
endowment and the grace to develop it.
But it is more important to acknowledge our weaknesses – laziness, craving
for food, clumsiness, etc. Doing so, we can
appeal to God for the saving grace to bear our crosses as His children.
