Reflection:                HEAVEN IS FOR THE HUMBLE
The Gospel reading for this 32nd Sunday in Ordinary time presents us with two learning curves but both are directed towards the same goal, that is – for us to clothe ourselves with humility after God, for only the humble can enter the Kingdom of God.

There are actually two contrasting lessons in today’s Gospel passage as Jesus highlights the arrogance of the religious leaders who use their position for personal gain and the humility of the widow who gave everything she had to the Temple treasury. To understand the purpose for which the Scriptures was written we should try to look back when Jesus preached some 2,000 years ago. At that time, he tried to reorient the social biases that were in vogue and was violently criticized for doing so. Because the values of God’s Kingdom from where he came from were opposed to the prevailing values at the time, the teachings of Jesus were rejected by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Because the Gospel written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John is called the Evangel or the Good News we must approach the Gospel of Christ without any bias but with an open mind and an open heart. The Gospels are what it says it is – the Good News – which means that everything written in it are for our own good and benefit. The Gospels tell us everything we need to know about Christ and what he did and this should serve as our manual of operation that would eventually lead us to God’s Kingdom.
And today’s society is no different from the environment that Jesus was confronted with in this passage. Today, we also live in a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements. And we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt having more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records. People today love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. Accomplished athletes are like that and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
In my younger days, I worked for a large TV network that has a policy of giving monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” As I gained prominence success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors. One day, the general manager of the network called me to his office and told me of an infraction I committed. I knew I was wrong but I was arrogant and proud and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network. As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be 10 others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.” I emerged from that encounter a better person and I didn’t even looked at it as a humiliation but a jolt that I needed to remind me that no one was indispensable no matter how good I was then.
In this Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God. While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing. In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach and this is the same with many of us. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage. Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. If for example you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient and this is basic. In my lifetime, I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the Church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God. This brings us to the second part of today’s Gospel as Jesus gives us a teaching on humility as he directed the attention of his disciples to the old widow who gave everything that she had to the collection box at the Temple.
The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn today is that real giving is sacrificial. The widow could have kept one coin but “she, poor as she is, has given everything she has,” (v.44). Today, we live in a culture in which we don’t give unless we get something back. At times we give to be in control. But in this passage Jesus is telling us that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, such as what the widow did is invaluable.
Let us remember that what we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord’s disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our reckoning. This is the joy and freedom of giving liberally to God and to neighbor in gratitude and with love. (Ed M. Malay)

Reflection Question:
1.    When I see a person in need, what is my immediate reaction or response?

2.    Do I practice any, if not all, of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy taught by the Church?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
November 11, 2012 (Sun)    1Kgs 17:10-16/ Ps 146:7-10/ Heb 9:24-28/ Mk 12:38-44
November 12, 2012 (Mon)    Ti 1:1-9/ Ps 24:1-6/ Lk 17:1-6
November 13, 2012 (Tues)    Ti 2:1-8,11-14/ Ps 37:3-4,18,23,27,29/ Lk 17:7-10
November 14, 2012 (Wed)    Ti 3:1-7/ Ps 23:1-6/ LK 17:11-19
November 15, 2012 (Thur)    Phlm 7-20/ Ps 146:7-10/ Lk 17:20-25
November 16, 2012 (Fri)    2jn 4-9/119:1,2,10,11,17,18/ Lk 17:26-37
November 17, 2012 (Sat)    3jn 5-8/ Ps 112:1-6/ Lk 18:1-8

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”