Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary TimeLord! You have touched my life and I have received grace upon graces.Sirach 3:17-20, 28-29
Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24
Luke 14:1, 7-14Good morning dear friends in Christ Jesus!
This is the famous saying of mine;
Lord! You have touched my life and I have received grace upon graces.
Dear friends, today we celebrate the feast of Saint Augustine of Hippo but this feast is not celebrated this year, because of Sunday today. But is still worth remembering and referring him today for our reflection.
Do you know the life of St. Augustin? (If you know tell me is he a good man or bad man?) If you do not know let me briefly tell his story but you must tell me that is he a good man or bad man? Okay. St. Augustin was born in the year 354 in North Africa of a Christian mother, Monica, and a pagan father Patricius, (pagan means do not believe in the existence of God). So first of all we understand that his family is not good Christian family because mother is a Christian but father is not a Christian. Secondly, Augustine was brought up a Christian but not baptized. He is not a baptized child means that he is away from God. And not good child like you and me. Thirdly, His study of philosophy resulted in his renouncing the Christian faith. Since studied so much He said there is no God, and renounced our catholic faith. Thus, He is not a good catholic like you and me. Fourthly, He lived fifteen years with a woman, by whom he had a son. He lived immoral life against our catholic faith.
So totally born as a Christian but not baptized, his father was not believer of God, and he too denied the Christian faith, not married in Catholic Church, having children in immoral way. Now you tell me is he a good person or bad person?
If he is a bad man how come our catholic church proclaims him as a saint today? If he is good man what made him to be a saint today? You must answer either of my questions?
Dear friends we all know the life of St. Paul he was a persecutor of Christians but God called him to be a fervent apostle in the same way Augustine was living an immoral life, he was not a good catholic, he denied Christian faith, but the eye of the lord was with him. Thus the words of the scripture Luke 5: 32 is fulfilled in his life (I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.) yes dear friends, because of his mother’s prayers and example over many years, Augustine began to encounter Jesus Christ in the person of St. Ambrose and with the prayers of his mother. Thus, he underwent a deep conversion and he was baptized in his early thirties. He started to practice the extreme virtue of humility. He returned to Africa and was ordained as a priest and four years later he was appointed as a Bishop of Hippo in the Roman province of North Africa; he remained as a faithful bishop for 35 years until his death in 430.
As a bishop he lived a community life with his clergy. He had a powerful intellect and great mystical insight. His most famous work is entitled the Confessions, in which he describes his own spiritual journey. Augustine’s life teaches us that it is never too late to turn to the Lord. He met the lord in his late life but he grew fast in all the Christian virtues. Thus he himself says in his writings that; Lord! Late have I loved you! You were within me and I was outside… You were with me, but I was not with you… You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.’
Dears friends as the first reading teaches us clearly that “My child, perform your tasks with humility; then you will be loved by those whom God accepts. The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favor in the sight of the Lord. For great is the might of the Lord; but by the humble he is glorified.” St. Augustine humbled so much thus he was glorified today as one of the great saint.
Also through the Gospel Jesus teaches us we also must humble in our lives. In the gospel we find two ideas that “how the guests chose the places of honor, and Jesus tells us a parable. Dear friends when you are invited to a feast do not sit in the place of honour. Rather you take last seat thus the host will say to your dear Friend, come to first place, the place of honour; then you will be honored in the presence of all guests who sit at the table with you. Thus, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Secondly Jesus tells us that when you celebrate feast in your families or when you want to give lunch or dinner; do not invite your friends, relatives and well-wishers. Rather you go and invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Because this act of yours will make you so humble and God will reward you according to your deeds. So dear friends whatever may be; in these two parables we see that either we will be invited as a gust or we will invite gusts to our families in these two situations if we practice the virtue of humility God will rewards us according to our deeds.
Dear friends kindly remember me and my family in your prayers because today I celebrate my Birthday today. Thus I pray, Lord! You have touched my life and I have received grace upon graces.
Dear friends, all those who are humble will be exalted like;
Mother Mary, St. Paul, St. Augustine etc.
May St. Augustine intercede for us!
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