"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18

The Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

On the Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time we have Jesus' dramatic story of the Pharisee and the tax collector standing in the temple, the Pharisee relieved that "I am not like the rest of humanity" and the tax collector with eyes down, begging for mercy. "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Thursday is the Solemnity of All Saints. Friday is The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls).

We continue with the third of four weeks of weekday readings from Paul's Letter to the Romans. This is Paul's most complete treatment of the gospel.

In Luke's Gospel Jesus heals a woman bent over by a bad spirit for 18 years, but because he did it on on the Sabbath, he is attacked by a religious leader. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to the powerful growth of the tiny mustard seed or to the slow but inevitable work of yeast kneaded into dough. When someone asks Jesus if the number to be saved is few he says, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate." For All Saints' Day we'll consider The Beatitudes from Matthew's Gospel. And for All Souls' Day we'll read from John's Gospel: "this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day." On Saturday this week, we return to Luke to hear Jesus notice how guests at a banquet were jockeying for the best seats. He warns: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

On the Thirty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time we have Luke's marvelous account of Jesus' encounter with the wealthy tax collector, Zacchaeus.

Daily Prayer This Week

Please, Lord, anything but humility! Our instinctive reaction to humility might be the result of a culture that exalts riches, honors and pride. Yet all this week Jesus teaches that the way to salvation is through humility.

The first step might be simply asking for the desire to be humble. As we move through the simplest of moments in our everyday lives, we can stop and ask God to help us want to be humble. As we sit on the edge of the bed in the morning, as we head to work, sort laundry or do our errands, we can keep a running prayer in the background of our consciousness: "Lord, help me to desire the humility that will make me more aware of your saving grace."

These same background moments offer ways for us to recognize opportunities to practice humility as we go through our days. Perhaps I can stop myself from correcting my spouse. In a disagreement, I might make an extra effort to listen to the other person's side rather than planning my rebuttal as they speak. I can let a person in line in front of me, hold the door for someone or make an extra effort to recognize and thank those who serve me. Even these tiny gestures, when done in the spirit of Jesus' teachings this week, offer us a special grace.

Especially on All Saints' and on All Souls' Days, we can turn to those who have gone before us to ask for the grace to be simply "poor in spirit" and to believe the blessed Jesus promises us all.

All week we can continue to speak to the Lord as we would to a loving friend who listens to us. And always, we can end our day in gratitude, for the merciful God who loves us so compassionately and longs to be in our hearts.