 HERE IS A BEAUTIFUL LEGEND ABOUT A KING WHO DECIDED TO SET ASIDE

A SPECIAL DAY TO HONOR HIS GREATEST SUBJECT. WHEN THE BIG DAY
ARRIVED, THERE WAS A LARGE GATHERING IN THE PALACE COURTYARD.
 FOUR FINALISTS WERE BROUGHT FORWARD, AND FROM THESE FOUR, THE
KING WOULD SELECT THE WINNER.
 THE FIRST PERSON PRESENTED WAS A WEALTHY PHILANTHROPIST.
THE KING WAS TOLD THAT THIS MAN WAS HIGHLY DESERVING OF THE
HONOR BECAUSE OF HIS HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS. HE HAD GIVEN MUCH
OF HIS WEALTH TO THE POOR.
 THE SECOND PERSON WAS A CELEBRATED PHYSICIAN. THE KING WAS
TOLD THAT THIS DOCTOR WAS HIGHLY DESERVING OF THE HONOR
BECAUSE HE HAD RENDERED FAITHFUL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE
SICK FOR MANY YEARS.
 THE THIRD PERSON WAS A DISTINGUISHED JUDGE. THE KING WAS
TOLD THAT THE JUDGE WAS WORTHY BECAUSE HE WAS NOTED FOR HIS
WISDOM, HIS FAIRNESS, AND HIS BRILLIANT DECISIONS.
 THE FOURTH PERSON PRESENTED WAS AN ELDERLY WOMAN.
EVERYONE WAS QUITE SURPRISED TO SEE HER THERE, BECAUSE HER
MANNER WAS QUITE HUMBLE, AS WAS HER DRESS. SHE HARDLY LOOKED
AS THE GREATEST SUBJECT IN THE KINGDOM.
 WHAT CHANCE COULD SHE POSSIBLY HAVE, WHEN COMPARED TO THE
OTHER THREE, WHO HAD ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH?
 EVEN SO, THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT HER THE LOOK OF LOVE IN HER
FACE, THE UNDERSTANDING IN HER EYES, HER QUIET CONFIDENCE.
 THE KING WAS INTRIGUED, TO SAY THE LEAST, AND SOMEWHAT PUZZLED
BY HER PRESENCE.
 HE ASKED WHO SHE WAS. THE ANSWER CAME: “YOU SEE THE
PHILANTHROPIST, THE DOCTOR, AND THE JUDGE? WELL, SHE WAS THEIR
TEACHER!” — THAT WOMAN HAD NO WEALTH, NO FORTUNE, AND NO
TITLE, BUT SHE HAD UNSELFISHLY GIVEN HER LIFE TO PRODUCE GREAT
PEOPLE.
 THERE IS NOTHING MORE POWERFUL OR MORE CHRIST-LIKE THAN
SACRIFICIAL LOVE. THE KING COULD NOT SEE THE VALUE IN THE HUMBLE
WOMAN. HE MISSED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEACHER.

 THE COMMON THEME OF TODAY’S READINGS IS TRUE HUMILITY LEADS TO

GENEROSITY.

 THE FIRST READING, TAKEN FROM THE BOOK OF SIRACH, REMINDS US

THAT IF WE ARE HUMBLE, WE WILL FIND FAVOR WITH GOD, AND OTHERS
WILL LOVE US.
 THE SECOND READING, TAKEN FROM HEBREWS, AFTER CONTRASTING
THE MAJESTIC GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WITH THE HUMBLE GOD OF
THE NEW TESTAMENT, GIVES ANOTHER REASON FOR TO BE HUMBLE.

 JESUS, THE INCARNATE SON OF GOD HUMBLED HIMSELF, TAKING ON

HUMAN FLESH AND LIVING OUR LIVES THAT HE MIGHT DIE TO SAVE US.
HE INVITES HIS FOLLOWERS TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE FROM HIM BECAUSE
HE IS “MEEK AND HUMBLE OF HEART.”

 PAUL ALSO SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT WE NEED TO FOLLOW CHRIST’S

EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LESS
FORTUNATE MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY.

 IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, JESUS EXPLAINS THE PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF

HUMILITY, CONNECTING IT WITH THE COMMON WISDOM ABOUT DINING
ETIQUETTE. JESUS ADVISES THE GUESTS TO GO TO THE LOWEST PLACE
INSTEAD OF SEEKING PLACES OF HONOR, SO THAT THE HOST MAY GIVE
THEM THE PLACE THEY REALLY DESERVE.

 JESUS’ WORDS CONCERNING THE SEATING OF GUESTS AT A WEDDING

BANQUET SHOULD MOVE US TO HONOR THOSE WHOM OTHERS IGNORE,
BECAUSE IF WE ARE GENEROUS AND JUST IN OUR DEALINGS WITH THOSE
IN NEED, WE CAN BE CONFIDENT OF THE LORD’S BLESSINGS.

 TRUE HUMILITY LEADS TO GENEROSITY

 NAGBIGAY SIYA NG MALINAW NA HALIMBAWA TUNGKOL SA

PAGPAPAKUMBABA. "KAPAG INAYAYAHAN KA NINUMAN SA ISANG
KASALAN, HUWAG MONG PIPILIIN ANG TANGING UPUAN. BAKA MAY
INAYAYAHANG LALONG TANYAG SA IYO!" "KAPAG NAGHANDA KA NG ISANG
PIGING ANYAYAHAN MO ANG TAONG HINDI MAKAKAGANTI SA 'YO AT SA
GAYO'Y GAGANTIHAN KA NG DIYOS SA MULING PAGKABUHAY NG MGA
BANAL." TRUE HUMILITY LEADS TO GENEROSITY

 HUMILITY TELLS US NA ANG LAHAT NG ATING KAKAYAHAN AT

KAYAMANAN AY GALING SA PAGPAPALA NG DIYOS KAYA WALA TAYONG
MAIPAGMAMALAKI.

 HINDI ITO SA AKIN KAYA HINDI KO DAPAT IPAGKAIT SA ATING KAPWA.

 ANUMANG PAGPAPALANG MAYROON TAYO AY IPINAGKATIWALA LAMANG
SA ATIN NG DIYOS KAYA DAPAT NATING GAMITIN PARA SA IBA AT HINDI
PARA SA ATING SARILI LAMANG.

 ANG PAGPAPAKUMBABA AY HINDI KAHINAAN NA TULAD NA SINASABI NG

MGA TAONG MAKAMUNDO. PARA SA ATING MGA KRISTIYANO, ANG
PAGPAPAKUMBABA AY NAGBIBIGAY SA ATIN NG LAKAS UPANG MASUNDAN
NATIN SI KRISTO BILANG MGA TAPAT NIYANG MGA ALAGAD.

 PANSININ NA ANG SALITANG HUMILITY SA WIKANG INGLES AY HANGO SA

SALITANG LATIN NA "HUMUS" NA ANG IBIG SABIHIN AY LUPA.

 KAPAG TAYO AY NAGLALAKAD HINDI NAMAN TAYO NAKATINGIN SA

LUPANG ATING TINATAPAKAN. HINDI NATIN NAPAPANSIN ITO HABANG
ATING TINATAPAKAN AT DINADAANAN. NGUNIT ALAM NATIN NA ANG
LUPANG ITO AY MAY TAGLAY NA YAMAN.

 DITO TUMUTUBO ANG MGA PANANIM NA ATING KINAKAIN UPANG TAYO AY

MABUHAY. PUNO ITO NG YAMAN AT PINAGKUKUHANAN NG KABUHAYAN
NG MARAMI SA ATIN.

 GANITO RAW ANG TAONG MAPAGPAKUMBABA. HINDI SILA

NAPAPANSIN, DINADAANAN AT TINATAPAK-TAPAKAN PERO SA
KABILA NITO AY PUNONG-PUNO SILA NG YAMAN SA KANILANG
SARILI AT NAKAPAGBIBIGAY NG BUHAY SA IBA. WHY? TRUE
HUMILITY LEADS TO GENEROSITY

 ANG MGA TAONG MAPAGKUMBABA AY MAIHAHAMBING DIN SA MGA UHAY

NG PALAY SA BUKID. PANSININ NINYO NA ANG MGA UHAY NA MAY
LAMANG PALAY, NAKAYUKO DAHIL SA BIGAT NITO.

 ANG UHAY NAMAN NA WALANG LAMAN ANG SIYANG DIRETSONG

NAKATAYO.

 SINASABI SA ATIN NG IMAHENG ITO NA ANG MGA TAONG

MAGPAGKUMBABA AY PUNONG-PUNO NG BUNGA SA KABILA NG
KANILANG PAGYUKO SA IBA. ANG MGA TAO NAMANG
MAPAGMATAAS OR GUSTO MAS MATAAS SILA SA IBA. AY WALANG
TAGLAY NA BUNGANG MAIPAGMAMALAKI.
 ANG KADAKILAAN SA MATA NG MUNDO AY HINDI KAILANMAN TUGMA SA
PAGTINGIN NG ISANG KRISTIYANO.

 HINDI KUNG ANUNG MERON TAYO ANG SIYANG NAGPAPADAKILA

SA ATIN. ANG TUNAY NA KADAKILAAN AY NASUSUKAT SA
KABABANG-LOOB... SA PAGLILINGKOD.

 TANGING ANG MGA TAONG MAPAGKUMBABA ANG MAARING

MAGING MAPAGBIGAY! WHY? TRUE HUMILTY LEADS TO
GENEROSITY

 KAYA NGA'T ITINUTURING NATIN SI JESUS NA ISANG HARING

NAGLILINGKOD O SERVANT-KING. ANG KADAKILAAN NI JESUS AY NASA
KANYANG MAGPAGKUMBABANG PAGLILINGKOD.

 ANG KANYANG ABANG KALAGAYAN SAPUL PA SA KANYANG PAGSILANG,

HANGGANG SA URI NG KANYANG KAMATAYAN AY NAGPAPAKITA NG
KANYANG KAPAKUMBABAAN.

 AT NAIS NIYANG ITO ANG ATING PAMARISAN BILANG KANYANG MGA

ALAGAD: "LEARN FROM ME FOR I AM MEEK ANG HUMBLE OF HEART..." V
TANGING ANG MGA TAONG MAPAGKUMBABA ANG MAARING MAGING
MAPAGBIGAY!

 GREATNESS IS NOT MEASURED BY HOW MUCH WE GAIN, BUT BY HOW

MUCH WE GIVE. THE WOMAN IN OUR STORY HAD NO WEALTH, NO
FORTUNE, AND NO TITLE, BUT SHE HAD UNSELFISHLY GIVEN HER LIFE TO
PRODUCE GREAT PEOPLE. THERE IS NOTHING MORE POWERFUL OR MORE
CHRIST-LIKE THAN SACRIFICIAL LOVE COMING FROM A HUMBLE HEART

 MULI PO TAYONG PINAALALAHAN. SA KANYANG HAPAGKAINAN, WALANG

PUWANG ANG PAGMAMALAKI NG SARILI O ANG KAGUSTUHANG MAKILALA
NG MADLA.

 TANGING KABABAANG-LOOB AT PUSONG MAPGABIGAY ANG KAILANGAN

NATING TAGLAYIN SA ATING PAGDULOG SA HAPAG NG PANGINOON. TRUE
HUMILY LEADS TO GENEROSITY.