Newsletter 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 31st August 2025

Newsletter 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 31st August 2025.pdf

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SUNDAY WEEK 22 (Year C) 2025

Today’s theme is Humility.  Pride is a deadly sin.  It is the sin of Lucifer who wanted to be greater than God.  Humility is the exact opposite.  It is a virtue of Christ who St Paul said (Philippians 2:6-8):

“Although he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited but emptied himself taking the form of a slave being born human and being found in human form, he humbled himself even more, and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Psalm 22:6 describes the Messiah “but I am a worm and not human;” (scorned by others and despised by the people). He could not have become littler/smaller, humbler:  On at least one occasion He called Himself a slave.  (The Greek word ‘dulos’). He freely chose to become the littlest of the littlest, the least of the least, the slave of slaves.  A radical infinite littleness.  His littleness, His humility is too much, too radical for us to grasp with our minds.  Although He was God, He chose for mere humans to treat Him cruelly, even to crucify Him.  So that the punishment due to us because of our sins would be paid for by Him, who is innocent.

God’s humility goes so far that, although He is God, He reduced Himself to mere bread, so that He may be eaten so that we, the ones who crucified Him, may become One with Him and He may become One with us.  God becomes lower than human, mere bread, only so that we by eating Him, can share in His divinity.

There is a story of our Blessed mother’s humility. (this brings me to my knees, so to speak, when I talk about it). Karen, a young lady, was invited to speak about our Blessed Mother in a large church in New York in 1996. Karen gave a wonderful description of our Blessed Mother. Karen said one point which stood out.  She said, “Our Blessed Mother is the most powerful of all creatures against Satan because she is the humblest. The evil one didn’t like Karen stating that. As Karen said the word “humble”, the church had a blackout.  All the lights went out as did the microphone.  Outside, near the church, an enormous tree was struck by lightning even though there was no rain or storm. Humility is very powerful.  A humble person defeats Satan and changes the world.  (A humble person is an ‘afront’ to Satan who is all pride).

St Bernadette

After the 18 apparitions of Lourdes in 1858 Bernadette entered the convent and became Sister Bernard and led a very retired life, doing the lowliest work in the convent. 

A visitor was surprised that Bernadette was doing the most humble chores in the Convent.

“What do you do with brooms?” asked Bernadette simply.

“Why we sweep with them of course,” answered the visitor.

“And when we have finished sweeping?”

“Why we put the broom back in its place.”

“Where is its place?” asked Bernadette.

“In the corner, behind the door.”

“Good!” said Bernadette with decision.  “Now you have my story in a few lines.  Our Blessed Mother made use of me, and then she put me in a corner.  It is my proper place.  I am very happy in it, and here I will remain.”

Sister Marie Terese Vauzou, Bernadette’s novice mistress and future Superior General of the order, was heard to say, “If Our Lady wanted to appear on earth why did she choose such an ignorant, uneducated little peasant.

Bernadette would not have disagreed with the nun’s assessment of her.  In fact, she went far beyond the Sister’s opinion by describing herself as a ‘good for nothing.’

She couldn’t gasp the difficult formulas of the catechism or lessons at school.  She remained ignorant and illiterate peasant.  Sickness added to that experience of her own uselessness. 

St Paul replied that God ‘chose those who count for nothing to reduce to nothing all those who do count for something.’ (1 Cor 1:28-29)

Perhaps what we fear most in life if this – to be considered as good for nothing, useless, inefficient, ignored, rejected, without value.

In 1858, life for Bernadette Soubirous and her family was far from easy.  A family of six lived in one room, the Cachot, an old prison unfit for human habitation.  They had no money, no bread, and almost no hope. Death and disease were never far from their door. So hungry were they that Bernadette’s little brother was found eating candle wax . Bernadette had her own sorrows.  At school she had to suffer all kinds of humiliation as the dunce of the ‘paupers’ class.  She was always sick, a situation that the apparitions did not change.   In fact, the apparitions brought an ever greater martyrdom.  They caused mockery, incomprehension, threats, interrogations and opposition. She had to make the sacrifice of leaving Lourdes and her family for exile in the convent of Nevers.

In the face of trials and suffering we wither run or rebel.  We become bitter and resentful, venting our anger upon God for all the misfortune that come our way.  But this is not Bernadette’s way.  No complaining, no anger, no bitterness.  But she followed the Way of the Cross right to the end as Mary herself has done.

St Bernadette had the virtue of humility.She was at peace being the discarded broom, being considered without value.

She also was at peace with her physical sickness which included chronic asthma which at times were particularly severe.  Also, tuberculosis of the bone which caused her significant pain and ultimately contributed to her early death at age 35.

St Bernadette wrote: “O Jesus and Mary, grant that my only joy may be to love You, serve You and suffer for sinners.” She also wrote: “O Mother Mary, come to my help, give me the grace of dying to myself, so that I no longer live, but in Jesus and for Jesus.”

Our Lord Jesus calls all of us to strive to have the same level of humility as Himself.

But in order to have this level of humility we need to spend time with Him.

The best place to spend time with Him is in His Presence in the Blessed Sacrament where He is seen as a humble piece of bread.

Let us pray:

‘The Litany of Humility.’ (just 6 lines of the Litany)

The response is “Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.”

Response is “Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.”

That others may be loved more than I.

That others may be esteemed more than I.

That others may be chosen, and I set aside.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed.

That others may be preferred to me in everything.

That others become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should be.