The road of humility

The story is told about a fully computerized airplane on its maiden voyage. As the airplane taxied toward the runway, a voice intoned:  “Welcome to the world’s first computerized aircraft. Everything is run electronically, so, ladies and gentlemen, just sit back and relax for nothing can go wrong…can go wrong… wrong…wrong…wrong…”

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In today’s Gospel (Mt. 23, 1-12) Jesus reminds us not to be proud: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” As we celebrate All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day, we are reminded of our mortality. Life is short, we are all just passing by. Everything is fleeting and temporary. We are all living on borrowed time. In the face of such a situation, we cannot and we should not be proud.

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Our visit to the cemetery should make us reflect about the life we are living. We carry nothing with us when we leave this world. Will there be people who will visit or even remember us after we are gone? And if they remember, will they remember our “greatness,” or will they remember our kindness? As someone put it, when we die, we leave behind us all that we have, and take with us all that we are.

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In one funeral Mass, a priest once said:  “We have here before us only the shell—the nut is gone.” In a way, we are nuts when we see or think of ourselves bigger than we really are, or when we hold on to our foolish pride, or hold on to earthly pleasures and power with no thought about God, eternity and people. What gives life meaning is that we lived it for something or someone greater than ourselves.

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There is an interesting text message I received which said that when Steve Jobs reached heaven, St. Peter introduced him to Moses and said: “He is here to upgrade your tablets!” As we remember and accept our mortality, let us also be reminded of our being sons and daughters in the Son, and our date with eternity. We are called to be saints. And what are saints? They are people like us who lived life to the fullest, and who gave their best to this world, in response to the call of a loving God.

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Please remember that many saints were once big sinners. It gives us hope to try and keep on trying to be good in spite of our weaknesses and falls, for indeed, there is no sinner without a future, and there is no saint without a past.

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Today is Prison Awareness Sunday. As we remember and pray for those who are in prison for whatever crimes or offenses they committed, let us also remember that we all are prisoners externally and internally. Let us not forget that the worst prisons are those that we ourselves created, and the worst graves are those that we ourselves dug. May the Lord set us free from our prisons and graves and help us not to die before our time.

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Our God is a compassionate God. During this long weekend, why not spend some of your time visiting prisoners, or the sick, or an orphanage, or a home for the elderly, or a lonely friend? A text message or a phone call, or a note will do. Being present to people is the best present. Remember, what you do to others comes back to you.

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As we honor and show our love and respect, please remember that we honor them best when we the living, whom they have left behind, show our honor, love and respect to one another. The greatest joy of those who have gone ahead of us is when they see that those they have left behind are united in peace and love. And it all happens and starts if we are humble to each other.

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As you remember a departed loved one these days, remember him/her telling you:  “Don’t worry about me. I am with the Father in this Kingdom where there are no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow.” Yes, we must believe in the Resurrection. Listen also to that departed loved one telling you: “Thank you for your love, your prayers, your support. Love one another as I have loved you.” Finally, listen to this departed loved one telling you: “See you in heaven!” Yes, that is a challenge and that is a promise.

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I remember Mama telling us as children and even now: “My greatest joy is that we as a family are united in this life, and that we will all be reunited in heaven someday. My greatest sorrow is if we are not united in love, and if one of you will not make it to heaven.” Simple words. Powerful words. A simple mother’s words.

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“It is not the thing that you do dear; it’s the thing you could have done that leaves me with a bit of heartache at the setting of the sun.” Let us try to live in such a way that we will have little or no regrets that we loved too little, too late. Remember, do not postpone your loving, your forgiving, your giving. Also, do not postpone your conversion. Walk the road of humility, now, and everything falls into its place, including yourself.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, help me to take the road of humility, the road that leads to true meaning and to eternity. Amen.