💖 HOMILY - JULY 19 💖

First Reading - Exodus 3:1-11

Gospel - Matthew 11:25-27

Our rector in the theologate used to repeat often that our well-built body and many secured degrees will bottle down to ruin with little loose motion that we can suffer. What he intended by that is we should not flaunt or brag ourselves of great wealth we have or insurmountable achievements we secure, because they will be accredited for a while but not for life. What matters is our humble life before God. The readings of the day invite us to humble ourselves before God and allow God to reveal Himself to us.

The first reading tells us about the call of Moses to be the leader of the people of Israel. The given pericope presents dramatic account of the call of Moses with very rich meaning embedded in that. Moses sees a very surprising scene of the burning bush from afar which was not getting consumed and that drew him close to Mt. Horeb or Sinai as later known. He approaches near but is prevented by a voice to remove his sandals, for the ground on which he is walking is holy. Thereafter, he is told about his mission. The most striking scene of this episode is the first injunction of God from the burning bush to Moses to remove the sandals. The sandals show our security or protection from thorns or unforeseen injuries to our legs. This, when applied to Moses' life symbolically, means he was asked to give up his security or dependence of his inheritance from his father-in-law but come humbly to God depending on Him for His mission assigned to him. Moses responded positively to God and freed himself from everything for His work. This means he humbled himself before God.

The gospel reading of the day exalts the little children because God has revealed Himself to them. Children or babes, in Jewish culture, are seen as those dependent on their parents and thus the symbol of the virtue of humility. When Jesus exalts the children or babes, this refers to dependence of people on God or their humble life. Thus, God has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus to those who are humble before God to accept Jesus as the Messiah or God-face on earth. However, this revelation is hidden from the learned and wise who are seen as the proud and arrogant. 

Dear friends, pride and arrogance can creep in our lives seeing successes and achievements. They are good and we must be proud of that but we should also never forget God after we have had them. We should walk before God humbly even in success or pain, happiness or sadness. God blesses the humble but hates the proud-hearted. Let's never forget that whatever we have is from God. As Magnificat says - God exalts the lowly (humble), thwarts the path of the proud. Our humble acknowledgement of God in our lives with gratefulness will always please God but our pride and arrogance will distance us from God.

May God help us remain humble in every circumstance of our lives.