Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

Humble Obedience

Outline

Humility is not valued by our culture

It would be read as “low self-esteem”

Think rather, “You can be anything you want to be”

“Indeed, you are already that, just let it come out.”

That is so different from the readings today, readings that remind me in many ways of St Monica

Paul tells us that societal standing is not the basis of divine calling

In fact, social and economic status seems to be a hindrance

So God chose a faithful, devout wife and mother in choosing St Monica

Most of those few who were of noble birth, powerful, or educated had to in one way or another strip it off or die to it before God could use them.

Think of Thomas Aquinas who deliberately chose a humble religious life and remained humble all his life.

What is this?

“So that no human being might boast before God”

We are “in Christ Jesus” “who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.”

“Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”

Now look at Matthew’s parable of the talents

A man calls his slaves (and I use slave because it indicates their low social status) and entrusts his property to them while he is away; he is a rich man, perhaps royalty, for talents are big money, hundreds of thousands.

The men remain slaves, slaves of a very important man.

Each responds, two by trusting that their master knew what he was doing, knew their ability, and obeying their master’s wishes.

They use the money well.

The third distrusts the master and so spirals into fear and disobeys the master trying to play it safe.

So the master returns and the faithful slaves are rewarded with the same honor regardless of their ability and gain.

What is rewarded is their trust and obedience, their humble submission to the will of their master.

They receive honor, but only when the master comes.

The distrustful slave is caught in his own fear.

He thought he knew better than his master.

He thought that safety was the best approach.

His distrustful fear was unmasked and he ends up, not just out on the street, but in outer darkness.

Meanwhile the most able slave learns, “to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Humble, trustful obedience does not mean retirement, but greater responsibility.

I think of Thomas Aquinas who always saw himself as a humble slave, but whose accomplishments continued until his died on his final mission.

So where are we in this?

St Monica was piously faithful and received a son.

She raised him as best she could, and he does not turn out so well.

She continues as the faithful parent in her prayers and finally she gets to see the fruit of her humble faithfulness: her son Augustine has become a pious follower of Jesus.

Then she is ready to die.

She never enjoys in this world knowing that St Augustine would become a priest and then a bishop, let alone his voluminous writings.

You and I are slaves of Jesus Christ.

We do best when we embrace our humble reality.

He has entrusted his goods to us.

We do best when we trust that his choices are good choices in terms of calling, education, and assignment, even if the situation seems overwhelming.

Yes, be humble, but trust and obey his choices and be humbly faithful.

Do not fear, for he takes responsibility for his choices.

And the surprise is, not that he sets us free, for that would place us outside the household, but that he rewards us for humble faithfulness, even though it was his choice to give us everything we have to be faithful with.

One of my patron saints in St John Vianney.

He was not highborn.

He struggled with seminary.

He eventually was given a rather run down rural parish as his assignment.

And he was the best priest he knew how to be in that situation.

His reward?

Not a bishopric, but long lines to his confessional and, I am sure, a whopping welcome when he entered heaven.

Whether it be in the patient, humble piety of our prayers or in the patient humble service we render, perhaps in an impossible situation, may we be those to whom the Lord says “Well done, good and faithful slave,” and who respond quite naturally by boasting, not in what we have done, but boasting in the Lord.

Readings

FIRST READING

1 Corinthians 1:26–31

26 Consider your own calling, brothers.

Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

27 Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, 28 and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, 29 so that no human being might boast before God.

30 It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”

RESPONSE

Psalm 33:12

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people chosen as his inheritance.

PSALM

Psalm 33:12–13, 18–21

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people chosen as his inheritance.

13 From heaven the LORD looks down

and observes the children of Adam,

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him,

upon those who count on his mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

and to keep them alive through famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD,

he is our help and shield.

21 For in him our hearts rejoice;

in his holy name we trust.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 13:34

34 I give you a new commandment: love one another.

As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.

GOSPEL

Matthew 25:14–30

14 “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.

15 To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability.

Then he went away.

Immediately 16 the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.

17 Likewise, the one who received two made another two.

18 But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

19 After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.

20 The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five.

He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents.

See, I have made five more.’

21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master’s joy.’ 22 [Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents.

See, I have made two more.’

23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.