First Reading - Isaiah 10:5-7,13-16 

Gospel - Matthew 11:25-27


A university professor once visited an old monk and asked him many difficult questions about God. The monk quietly poured tea into the professor's cup. He kept pouring until the cup overflowed onto the table.
The professor quickly said, "Stop! The cup is already full."
The monk smiled and replied, "Just like this cup, a heart that is already full of itself has no room to receive anything new."
That simple story captures the message of today's readings. God is always ready to speak to us, but whether we hear Him depends very much on the attitude of our hearts.
The first reading from Isaiah tells us about the king of Assyria. God had allowed Assyria to become an instrument of His justice, but the king forgot something very important. Instead of recognizing that his strength came from God, he began to boast about his own wisdom and power.
He proudly says, "By the strength of my own hand I have done it, and by my wisdom."
His success made him believe that he no longer needed God.
That is the danger of pride.
Pride does not always look like arrogance or loud self-importance. Sometimes it is much quieter. It appears whenever we begin to believe that everything depends on us, that our achievements are entirely our own, or that we no longer need God's guidance.
The truth is that every talent we possess, every opportunity we receive, every breath we take is ultimately God's gift.
When we forget that, we slowly place ourselves at the center instead of God.
The Gospel takes us in the opposite direction.
Jesus lifts His eyes to the Father and says, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth."
Notice how different Jesus is from the king of Assyria.
The king praises himself.
Jesus praises the Father.
The king takes credit.
Jesus gives thanks.
That difference changes everything.
Then Jesus says something beautiful: the mysteries of God's Kingdom are revealed, not to those who think they know everything, but to "the little ones."
Who are these little ones?
They are not simply children. They are people who approach God with humble hearts. They know they need Him. They are willing to listen. They are open to being taught.
Humility is not thinking poorly of ourselves.
It is recognizing the truth.
The truth that without God we can do nothing lasting.
The truth that every blessing comes from Him.
The truth that we are loved, not because we have earned it, but because He is our Father.
Perhaps that is why some of the holiest people are often the simplest.
They do not pretend to have all the answers.
They pray.
They trust.
They thank God.
They rely on Him each day.
Their hearts remain open because they know they are always in need of His grace.
Jesus then says, "No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."
What an extraordinary gift.
Christianity is not first about learning ideas or memorizing teachings.
It is about entering into a relationship.
Through Jesus, we come to know the Father—not as a distant ruler but as a loving Father who desires to draw us close to Himself.
And that relationship begins with humility.
A humble heart is teachable.
A humble heart is grateful.
A humble heart knows how to receive.
Dear friends, today's readings invite us to reflect on three simple questions.
Do I recognize that everything I have is a gift from God?
Are there areas of my life where pride keeps me from listening to Him or accepting His will?
And do I approach God each day with the trust and simplicity of one of His "little ones"?
Let us ask the Lord for the gift of humility. Not a false humility that puts ourselves down, but the genuine humility that keeps our hearts open to God's grace.
May we never become so full of ourselves that there is no room left for God.
Instead, may we learn from Jesus, who always gave glory to the Father, and may our lives become a continual prayer of gratitude for everything we have received.
For it is the humble heart that truly comes to know God, and the heart that knows God discovers the deepest joy of all.