Homily Sixth Monday of Ordinary Time (Genesis 4:1-15, 25) “Humble Pie”
Homily Sixth Monday of Ordinary Time (Genesis 4:1-15, 25) “Humble Pie”
There are many dynamics in families. Fathers and sons are at odds at times just because it is a male thing. Mothers and sons have a different sort of relationship. We also have sibling rivalries that can be challenging. We all like to think that we would like to be the favorite with our parents.
The former Cardinal of Manilla in the Philippines, who was named Jaime Sin, used to tell a story about his family. A story that led him to think about what humility is all about. Cardinal Sin came from a big family, but he was the only priest in the family.
His mother seemed to dote on him. She was proud of all his accomplishments. One day the family was having a big celebration. Jaime Sin said Mass for his family and of course he was the center of attention.
During the celebration someone said to Jaime Sin’s mother that he must be the favorite of all her children. She smiled and said that he was. Cardinal Sin was uncomfortable with this since his siblings had heard it.
Later in the day, when he was alone with his mother, he confronted her and said, “Mom, I don’t think that you should say that I was your favorite when others are listening.” His mother looked at him wisely and said, “Jaime, I always felt that I needed to praise you the most because, after all, you were the ugliest one.” Cardinal Sin got a dose of humility that day.
Cain was jealous of his brother Abel. Rather than rejoice in his brother’s goodness, he was angry with the favor God showed on Able. His hostility got away from him and it led him to violence.
If we can learn to rejoice in the accomplishments of those we are close to, we can grow in Christian maturity and in Christian love. We can cultivate the virtue of humility.
Reflection Questions:
- Was I jealous of any of my brothers or sisters as I was growing up? How do I feel about them today?
- Do I believe God loves me as much as anyone? Why or why not? What does the Christian faith say about this?
Dear Parishioners,
I would like to remind people that we will be distributing ashes differently this year because of the pandemic. We will use the more ancient practice of sprinkling ashes on people’s head.
The formula, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” will be said once and then we will ask people to come forward to receive the ashes.
In some other countries, like Italy, this is the practice every year. Hopefully, we will return to our normal way of distributing ashes next year.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark
P.S. Registration for Ash Wednesday Masses will be open until 5:00pm on Tuesday.
https://sacredheartmoline.org/mass-signup/ash-wednesday-mass