Go and Proclaim: “God will exalt the humble.”
First Reading: Micah 3:5-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 43:1-2; 3-4; 5
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:1-12
Homily by Fr. Romie- Jun Peñalosa
“Lahat tayo may bahid ng yabang.” Fr. Romie-Jun started off his homily by sharing this statement. After the Gospel was read, Fr. Jun established that it was a message for everyone.
Pride, he said, is a stumbling block. It blinds us. It is destructive and comes before the fall. Pride makes you think of yourself more than others. And ultimately, pride will cause us to be unhappy.
On the other hand, when we see humility in other people, you love it and you are drawn to them.
This Sunday’s Gospel talks particularly about these two expressions of Pride:
- Hypocrisy
- Entitlement
Hypocrisy is pretending to be someone who we are not. The only way to conquer this is humility. Humility will allow us to accept who we are. With accepting the truth comes grace. Hypocrisy will cause us to act as if we are better than others. Humility is acknowledging that we are all sinners.
Entitlement is when you begin to think that you deserve special treatment. People who are entitled feel like they deserve more than what they have in life. Be grateful for what you have for everything you have in life is a gift from God. The truth is, nobody deserves anything. Everything is a gift from God.
How do we combat hypocrisy and entitlement? Cultivate the virtue of humility.
- PRAY. Spend time in the presence of the Lord in prayer. When you encounter a great God, you will start to feel small. A man who spends time in the presence of the Lord will see that God is everything and you are nothing.
- When God begins to humble you, DON’T RUN AWAY FROM IT. If you are proud, be prepared to be put down by God. God will always humble us because He loves us.
Remember, God resists the proud but always gives grace to the humble.
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