“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Let us imagine the scene of today’s Gospel. Jesus was invited to a meal in a high-ranking Pharisee’s house. While they watched him closely hoping to catch him off guard he noticed how the guests ‘picked the places of honour’.

This attitude triggered Jesus to tell a parable which at first reading seems to be giving a recipe on how to move up in life by pretending to be humble. But as I reflect deeper on the passage I come upon some real deep truths about life, and so I share my reflections.

It is a trend worldwide for people to set themselves apart, separate themselves into the haves and the have-nots. We may choose to live in certain high class neighbourhoods, send our children to prestigious schools, get married in a big church or even purchase an exclusive motor car or attend an all-inclusive event at a very high cost.

We do all these with the sole intention of placing ourselves higher than the rest. Money appears to be the factor that drives the great divide. Even our politicians try to make the divide wider when their utterances suggest race discriminations.

In last Sunday’s reading Jesus exhorted us to try our best “to enter by the narrow door”. It is natural for us to want the best, to strive for the highest place, to reap the most advantage where possible.

All these things are good in themselves once they do not separate us or alienate us from connecting with others; they allow us the privilege of helping from our high position.

This passage explains to me the importance and function of the Stewardship Programme which most of our parishes have embarked upon. It emphasises that all our gifts come from God and as such we receive them gratefully, cultivate them responsibly and share them in love and justice with others.

Stewardship, like the passage, rejects the notion that we must have it all or we must “secure places of honour”. Instead it demonstrates the value of giving in love, in service and in justice. Through Stewardship we are called to use our God-given talents to make our parish, our community, our nation a better place.

We approach life not simply concerned with our own affairs and self -advancement but conscious about the needs of others and are in solidarity with them.

At this point we begin to understand that our God-given gifts are not ours for own individual use alone but they are to be shared with all. So, in a sense, our place is not an elevated position but one where we sit side by side with each other rather than over and above one another.

Today Jesus challenges us to change our social patterns; he challenges us to connect in solidarity with the poor, the elderly, the handicapped and the impoverished of our parish, our country and the world. He challenges us to examine our motives when we choose to place ourselves higher than others.

Let us pray

Father, we thank you for missionaries, social workers and volunteers who make their way to the lowest place and work among the people. They teach us how to see ourselves in relation to other human beings.

Lord, forgive us when we occupy the places of honour by using our God-given gifts to compare ourselves with others and elevate ourselves over them.

Lord, all our gifts come from you. Teach us how not to do our work for our own glory and help us to believe in the value of sitting in a lowly place since it is from there we will be exalted.

Gospel Meditations for September are by Bernadette Salandy, a former primary school teacher and member of the Movement for a Better World, Ms Salandy is now on the staff of the Metropolitan Tribunal.