Dear Family of Christ,

What is humility and why do we need it?

From the Catechism #2559, “Humility is the foundation of Prayer.” Humility brings us further than self-righteousness. The poor in spirit or the humble are close to the Lord, He hears their cry, and He provides for their needs. The practice of the virtue of humility allows us to let go of our illusion of control and to be dependent on God.

Dear Family of God,

NO means “Next Opportunity,” what a positive attitude! This weekend we will hear the teaching about being persistent in prayer. God wants us all to never give up with our prayer life and with our interceding for the conversion of those who have not known yet the love of God.

Dorothy Day, the great Catholic activist, doubted God’s existence. At least in her early adult years. But something changed when after giving birth to her daughter, she experienced an overwhelming gratitude. She later described how, as she held her daughter, the only appropriate response was a kind of unlimited gratitude. She had done nothing to deserve such a gift — this tiny, miraculous life — but there she was, flooded with gratitude, completely undone by the love of such a Giver.

A priest friend of mine received a call from a family whose elderly mother was dying. Within thirty minutes, he was at her bedside, offering the consolation of the sacraments, anointing her with the oil of the sick, and commending her soul to God. She passed not long after, and for months, her family spoke of their deep gratitude for his presence. When I phoned him to commend his faithful ministry, he simply said, “I was just doing my job.”

I am embarrassed to admit that I frequently find myself dining and socializing with people who have millions and sometimes billions of dollars. I’ve eaten more caviar, lobster, and wagyu steak than most people on the planet. I justify it by saying it’s part of my job. But I have seven pairs of nice jeans and expensive shoes.

So it is rather uncomfortable to hear Our Lord say: “My child, remember that you received what was good in your lifetime, while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented” (Luke 16:25).

Before I was a priest, I was a lazy worker for a retail Apple store. Hearing a rumor that my boss was going to fire me, I secretly sold iPhones for half-price, gave away dozens of free iPads, and donated several brand-new laptops to managers in other stores in the mall. After a week, my boss called me into his office. He knew what I was up to. He said I had cost the store thousands of dollars. “Really great work, John,” he said. “I am going to recommend you to be my assistant manager and double your pay.” I was amazed.

All that Jesus did in his life is left to us to follow. He humbled himself; he came to do God’s will; he loved us until the end… he never gives up on us sinners. True love always involves sacrifice. True love is self-sacrificing love. True love is not afraid to lose oneself, for it is only in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

According to Patricia Sharbaugh, in her article, in The Priest Magazine, entitled “The Fullness of Love”, “God’s saving love is revealed on the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is not merely a means of salvation but is the primary way for Christians to know God.”

Dear Family of God,

The readings this weekend instructs us on how to become Jesus’ Disciples: Detachment from family, from self, and from possessions and willingness to carry our own cross: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Lk. 14:26)

Dear Family of God,

Jesus teaches us in our Gospel this weekend: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The wise author of the Book of Sirach understands the value of humility and notes that it is the way to “find favor with God.”

Dear Family of God,

This month of August we have celebrated both the Assumption and the Coronation of Mary, as Queen of Heaven and Earth. If Jesus need a mother and a father, we all need a mother and Father too. Mary was given to us by Jesus himself to help us in our journey to holiness, to help us realized that Jesus thirsts for our love too.

Dear Family of God,

What did Jesus meant in saying: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division” (Luke 12:51)

According to Dr. Brant Pitre: An interpretation comes to us from St. Ambrose of Milan. St. Ambrose was the bishop of Milan, a Latin-speaking Church Father in the 4th Century who played a key role in the conversion of St. Augustine.

Dear People of God,

How can we be vigilant and be full of trust in God?

Without God we can do nothing to attain a blessed life. We need the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. These three virtues are gifts from God; we have to pray or desire for these gifts and then practice them daily. Faith is not to accept anything old nonsense, no evidence.

Recent studies suggest that millennials will be the first generation in America to be worse off than their parents in terms of financial earnings and job status. Many lament this. I propose that this week’s Gospel provides a hopeful way to see the trend as good news.

The Lord Jesus says, “Take care to guard against greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist in possessions” (Luke 12:15).