Humility and Reverence

Message from Fr. Jose Koluthara, CMI

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today’s scripture passages (Sirach 3:17-20,28-29, Lk. 14:1,7-14) call us to humility, which is an important virtue for all those who worship. Humility is ultimately a simple thing. It means accepting the truth about reality. It requires recognizing both the good that God has put into us and the limitations that are inherent in our human nature. In particular, it means never forgetting that God is God and we are not! Humility means giving everyone his or her due, including God and every human being. False pride, sinful pride, takes over when we begin to think of ourselves as superior to others or equal to God.

True worship always involves humility because it acknowledges God as God and sets us in proper relationship to God. This is ultimately what is meant by reverence in worship. Dr. Paul Woodriff, in his book “Reverence: Recovering a Forgotten Virtue”, says that reverence is the opposite of hubris, that false pride that always ultimately leads to our downfall.

It is a constant temptation for those of us who know and love the liturgy to begin to think of ourselves as somehow superior to the “ordinary” worshipper. Therefore we deserve to have our needs and wishes respected! It is true of course, that leaders must make decisions for a community or else they are not leaders. But it is true that leaders must listen very carefully to others in the community if they are to remain its true servants. Such listening requires humility on the part of those in leadership positions.

Does the weekly liturgy lead us to an ever deeper awareness of the presence of the divine mystery at the heart of worship? Are members of the assembly sufficiently attentive to Christ’s presence in one another, in the presider, in the word and in the meal? What can increase in everyone’s awareness of the power of God at work in our midst and in our worship?

One key to remember: Silence fosters reverence, because when we are silent we are not promoting ourselves, and we just might hear the voice of God who rules the universe and yet love each of us dearly.