WEDNESDAY 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

WEDNESDAY 15^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: ISAIAH 10:5-7. 13-16

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 11:25-27

THEME: BE HUMBLE.

One Igbo adage will always ask, Okwuru o n’ akari onye kuru ya?  Can an okro over grow or out grow the person that planted it? Assyrians were thinking they had gotten all they needed, they could do all without the help of God and God asked them the question above. He is asking us also today the same question. As they lacked humility so also we are lacking it in our lives today.

Jesus in the gospel is thanking his father for hiding the riches of heaven from proud men/women, those who are lacking humility and revealing it to those who are humble and still uphold humility like children. If we humble ourselves, certainly we shall be exulted and if we exult ourselves, we shall be humbled as recorded in the Bible (Matthew 23:12). We are just dust of the earth (Ecclesiastes 3:20), no need for bragging.

A story was told by a priest from my place. In his first posting after ordination, he was very young then. A woman came to the parish house looking for a priest. That was in the afternoon. The priest after taking his lunch decided to go for a little walk. He met that woman at the gate but she could not even talk to the person for Fada was not putting on soutane, talk more of greeting. She passed him and entered the parish house and was asking to see a priest. She was told that she left a priest at the gate. She came to Fada and asked him, Bia nnwa, kedu ebe ifuru Fada? Fada told her that Fada was not far from there. She started barking at him telling him that children of these days are no more respectful. As she was shouting, a lady passed and greeted, Fada good afternoon! And Fada responded, it was that time that she noticed that she was talking to Fada and started to beg. Fada cautioned her to learn how to apply humility in everything she does in life so that she can go far in life.

It is a serious virtue to be humble and we cannot get heaven if we are not humble. Let us humble ourselves today like little and humble children and God will be on our sides and reveal the riches of heaven to us now and forever. Thanks.