Humility is a good virtue

Humility is a virtue
Good morning every one. I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. My special welcome to all our parishioners, visitors and every one who is here today and I would also like to thank you all for coming out to celebrate Christ the Lord. Dear friends, every time we come to church we celebrate God who sent His Only Son as human like you and me and every time we come to church we celebrate Christ who humbled Himself to live among us and every time we come to church we are called to humble ourselves before God and others.
Once an elderly lady came to Church and the friendly usher welcomed her and said, “mom… where do you want to sit?” she said, ‘I want to sit in the front row?’ the usher said, ‘No, mom, the pastor’s sermon is so boring and he will put you to sleep?” the woman said, “do you know who I am? I am the pastor’s mother”. The usher who was so embarrassed looked at her and asked, “Do you who I am?” she said, “no”. he said, “thank god. I am so happy”.
Humility is all about coming down. In today’s gospel, Jesus our Lord by seeing the Pharisees and scribes, tell the people to humble themselves before God and others. Yes, our Lord Jesus Christ humbles Himself and become a man for us. He humbled himself to accept the cross and die for us all. Following the Lord means we have to come down like Him in every way. We cannot receive the gospels without coming down; we cannot understand values and important of the sacraments, if we do not come down. Yes, when we humble ourselves then we become followers of Christ.
There is a story about King Philip the father of Alexander the Great. He employed two men whose only responsibility was to address him twice a day. Their morning duty was going to king Philip saying, “Philip, remember that you are but a man” and in the evening, they would ask him, “Philip, have you remembered that you are but a man?”
When we humble ourselves before God and others we do not need to go to Heaven because the heaven will come to us. That is what happened to St. Paul who was a well-educated rabbi. He did everything well and He had so many followers and disciples. Every synagogue invited him to preach the divine words because He preached with pride and power. But on the way to Damascus, He had a vision; vision of humble Christ who asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecute me and I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. At that moment, Saul became Paul and humbled himself before God and others saying, “everything my education and my wealth are nothing before the love of God”
Once a spiritual Master had completed a tour around the world and then all his friends came to him and asked, “Are you not proud of yourself that everywhere you went people adored and honored you. They listened to every word that you uttered?’ The Master humbly looked at them and said, “No. The donkey went into Jerusalem, and they put garments on the ground before him, they sang Hosanna and praise. He was not proud. He knew it was not done to honor him but for Jesus who was sitting on his back. When people honor me, I know it is not for me but for the one who sent me. It is for the one who protects and loves me”.
Once Winston Churchill was asked, “ Are you not proud to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?” Winston replied, “It is quite flattering. Whenever I feel that way I always remember instead of making a political speech, I was being hanged, the crowed would be twice as big”.

Dear friends when we humble ourselves before God and others, life will open a new way for us. Yes, we will come to know the presence of God with us twenty-four seven. Our fears, anxieties, pains and suffering will be gone forever. We will never feel alone. We will experience love and kindness, happiness and joy every day. We know God is Almighty and there is a reason for everything.
Once a traveler who was resting under a walnut tree, as he relaxed saw a pumpkin on a thin vine. Then he thought to himself that God did not create things in order. This big walnut tree has small size walnuts and this thin vine has huge pumpkin. He laughed to himself saying, “If I were the creator… that time, a walnut from the tree fell on his head with force, there he was enlightened and humbled then he said to himself, “if a huge pumpkin fell in my head, I might have been dead. God has reason for everything.
So let us humble ourselves and thank God for sending His Son Jesus to us and thus we can and may inspire all who want to know the love and kindness of God. Amen.