Sunday Homily, 31 August 2025 - Fr Paul Rowse, OP

Our parish has no invitation-only social events. So, we can say that we are adhering to what the Lord tells us: people living in all circumstances are part of our life together. We can be more invitational, but we are doing OK there.

But this humility business: not only can we always do better in this department, but some of us need real help. We may need real help in humility because of the range of cultural expectations which do not bring us into it. Allow me to offer two examples.

The first is self-deprecation: we like people who stand in front of us to disparage themselves a little when they address us. We regard it as the way in which the speaker identifies themselves with their audience. And we find it reassuring. By self-deprecation, the speaker is thought to be disarmed and therefore approachable.

But the failure to self-deprecate is not necessarily pride or aloofness. We should consider the possibility that expecting someone to self-deprecate reveals a lack of self-respect on the part of the audience: why shouldn't we try to rise to the level of our orator rather than expect them to come down to us? Why do we regard orators as above us or beneath us in the first place? Why don’t we think of them as another self?

The second cultural expectation which works against humility is tall poppy syndrome. If someone stands out from us, some Australians will disparage and even attack them. Differences become flashpoints. Distinctive attributes are weaponised against individuals.

But again, the failure to yield to the poppy pruners is not necessarily a sign of pride or aloofness. Is there a chance that the poppy pruners have a lamentable insecurity which is only fed by someone’s excellence? Could it be that there is widespread contentment, in fact, with mediocrity? Why do people insist on the mean rather than be proud of the magnificent and pleased for them?

So, what is humility? And how do we get it? Given, culturally, we might have some difficulty in arriving at humility, perhaps we should take God's own example.

Christ's example shows us that humility begins with greatness. The Son of God is the one through whom all things were made. So, his role in your creation and mine places him above everything there is or will be. Yet he freely accepted the Father's will that we be saved by sacrifice, and so he took our flesh and offered that flesh on the cross. The humblest man is Christ, who is true God from true God.

And so, we can start on the path of humility, not because we must disparage ourselves or be disparaged, but because there is no change to our greatness when we are humble. Humble people are still called to heaven, are still blessed with gifts and talents, can still have love and friendship in their life, are still very much themselves.

Christ's example also shows us that humility has a purpose beyond its practitioner. The purpose of humility is not to unstuff a shirt: if it were, how could we say that Christ is humble? The purpose of humility is to raise others up. Christ was so humble as to take the lowest place on earth: a tomb, and he entered the realm of the dead on Good Friday night. The Son of God died in our flesh and allowed himself to be called dead among the dead. He did that so that all the dead would rise in him.

And so, when we practice humility, we create room for another person. When we practice humility, we create room for another person to find their place, a place they might not have arrived at on their own. Thus, we give life to others too when we give way to them in humility.

This is why the Lord mentions inclusive hospitality right on the heels of his teaching on humility. When we are humble, we see everyone because we are seeing ourselves in the right light: we are neither above nor beneath anyone else; we are human, just like everyone else.

So, this week, do consider how you will give the gift of your humility to someone else. Who can you build up and encourage? Who can you draw in and welcome? That person, whoever they are, is another self, another you.

Fr Paul Rowse, OP Parish Priest