Falling Down

Life is good at humbling us.

Just when we think we are the best, someone better comes along. Just when we think we know our jobs better than anyone else, an issue comes up that makes us look incompetent. Just when we think we are mature in our faith, we cave into a temptation which leaves us empty and bewildered.

Many times, we replace that wounded pride with bitterness. Many times, envy of others fills the space left behind by our deflated egos.

During this past week in response to this Sunday's readings, I have been trying to look at my past and present failures in a different way. Rather than let them be causes for shame and embarrassment, I am thankful for them. Because of my mistakes, I could abandon the pretense of being perfect. I have learned that the people who love me are willing to forgive me and to continue to love me despite my imperfections. Most especially, my failures have taught me to be patient with and compassionate toward those who are struggling.

We have to be careful when reading this Sunday's gospel (Lk 14: 1, 7-14) not to interpret it as an etiquette lesson. Luke calls Jesus' words a "parable" because they are telling us something about how God acts. God lifts up those who are lowly. It is when we are at our lowest that God can finally meet us.

Most importantly, it is when we are at our lowest that we see how quickly we can lose the esteem of others. At that point, we see how irreplaceable is the love of God which we can never lose.

So, at those times when we look like idiots in front of others or something happens to make us the subject of gossip, we have to first thank God for the opportunity to know what it is like to be humbled. We have to remember those who are humbled every day by their poverty or sickness. And we have to beg God that peace, joy and forgiveness may flood in where pride, self-assurance and contempt once held their ground in our hearts.

In that way, we can take our place at the wedding banquet which is the Eucharist. This Sunday's second reading (Heb.12: 18-19, 22-24) calls Jesus' blood more eloquent than the blood of Abel. Abel's blood called out to God for justice, and so Cain was cursed and ostracized. Jesus' blood calls out to God for mercy so we may be forgiven and restored to intimacy. However, we cannot reach out for mercy if we think we have the power to be good on our own or if we have failed to be merciful with others.

Getting knocked down is just the opportunity we need to finally give up on thinking we have it all figured out and to reach out for God's hand which has been there all along.