Several years ago, my eldest daughter was doing a one year stay in France, being a English teaching assistant in French grade schools. Great experience for her and she developed into a fluent French speaker. Which does well for her now that she lives in French-speaking Senegal. While in Paris, we decided to visit Notre Dame. This is pre-fire Notre Dame. We were there around Easter and decided that it would be great if we could attend the Vigil Mass on Saturday evening. But we knew it would be VERY crowded. We noticed that there was a Vespers service prior to the Vigil and we thought that if we attended Vespers we could stay for the Vigil and get great seats. And we did! We were in the first row for Vespers. In like Flynn…right!? Wrong.
Just before the Vigil Mass was set to start, and us in our primo seats, we got approached by an usher who asked us to vacate the front pew because it was reserved for the clergy attending the service. With a full cathedral behind us, we got up from our seats and began searching for 4 seats together. We found 4 separate seats in the far back of the church, having to climb over congregants in the process. Talk about being Humbled!!
So today’s Gospel from Luke hit home. In the story Jesus tells the guests at the home of the Pharisee that when they are invited to a banquet, don’t take the most socially important place at table so that you are not treated like you had the front pew at the Easter Vigil at Notre Dame! Instead, assume the socially lower position and therefore potentially be honored when the host asks you to move up in position. The point of His story is to communicate the virtue of humility. The exalted will be humbled and the humbled will be exalted. And what do we mean by being exalted? And why is it bad for those who want to be exalted but not so much for those who initially seek humility?
Well, it is all about pride. I had an earlier reflection this year where I discussed pride. Pride in one’s work. Pride in your children. These are not bad things. But I think it is kind of an internal versus external pride where the issue is. We can have a sort of inner glow when we admire our work or our family. It is when that inner glow turns into an external fire. When you have to let the world know just how great you are. Proud people of this type are essentially setting themselves apart from or ahead of others. Allowing your own glory to overwhelm those around you. It is the opposite of love, which is where we seek the good of others before ourselves. It is why pride is called the deadliest sin. Because it invariably leads to the other sins as you use whatever technique or behavior that is at hand in order to call attention to yourself.
I recall when I graduated 8th grade. My parents held a party for me and asked my cousin and his band to play for the party. They were pretty excited. I thought to myself that this wasn’t fair. It was MY party and I should get the attention. So I complained. No…I whined and I cried. Yes, I was a bit of a brat. I wanted to play my keyboard at the party. In spite of the fact that I was awful at it. I got my way and I earned myself one Grade A case of embarrassment and my cousin was denied the opportunity for his band to get some exposure. The exalted were humbled for sure that day.
In today’s first reading from Philippians, Paul talks about some who are preaching out of envy and rivalry. They are trying to outdo Paul and make more of a name for themselves. Trying to outshine Paul’s teachings while Paul is under house arrest by the Romans. He is waiting for Caesar to rule on what is to become of Paul. Eventually it is ruled that Paul will die and he is beheaded. But before his demise he comments on the situation of those essentially trying to steal his thunder. His response is to say that there is no difference between those preaching out of rivalry and those preaching out of love. As long as Christ is proclaimed. He refuses to reduce himself to the level of those who wish to exalt themselves at the expense of Paul.
I will leave you with this video of Bob Uecker. He was an American baseball player and broadcaster. I remember him most for a beer commercial he did where he was “escorted” to the top of the stands after he assumed a seat up in the front. A great modern day version of Jesus’ parable. Oh, BTW. Tuchus is a yiddish word for your posterior region…the part of your body that hits the chair first.
Enjoy:
