In the readings for Feria VI after the XVI Sunday after Pentecost, we encounter two profound messages of humility and love. St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Eph 3:13-21) calls us to a deeper understanding of the boundless love of Christ, while the Gospel of Luke (Luke 14:1-11) provides a vivid lesson on humility through the actions of Christ and His teaching on choosing the lowest place. These readings are rich with insight, and when read together, they help guide us toward the path of holiness, as the Church Fathers have long understood.
St. Paul’s Prayer for Strength and Understanding (Eph 3:13-21)
In Ephesians, St. Paul encourages his readers not to lose heart over his sufferings. He prays that God would grant them strength through His Spirit and that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith. St. Paul desires for the faithful to grasp the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love, a love that surpasses knowledge. This prayer is not just for intellectual understanding but for an experiential knowledge that transforms lives.
The Church Fathers, particularly St. John Chrysostom, emphasize that St. Paul’s prayer is an appeal for spiritual fortification. Chrysostom writes, “Paul here prays for things that are great and sublime… the faithful should be filled with all the fullness of God, which means nothing less than the indwelling of Christ, who is the very image of God.” The power of Christ’s love is so vast that it can only be comprehended through faith, which stretches the capacity of our hearts to receive more of Him.
This prayer challenges us to meditate on the depth of God’s love, which is revealed most profoundly in Christ’s humility and sacrifice. As Origen reminds us, “The love of Christ surpasses human knowledge, for no man can fully comprehend the manner in which the Divine Word, who is co-eternal with the Father, took flesh for our sake.” This love becomes the foundation upon which our spiritual lives must be built. Without understanding and receiving this love, we cannot hope to embody the humility and charity Christ demands of us.
The Humility of Christ (Luke 14:1-11)
The Gospel of Luke presents a scene where Christ, invited to dine with the Pharisees on the Sabbath, heals a man with dropsy and then uses the occasion to teach about humility. He observes how guests at the meal choose the places of honor for themselves and responds with the parable of the wedding feast, urging His listeners to choose the lowest place instead. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).
St. Gregory the Great, reflecting on this passage, notes that Christ not only teaches humility but models it perfectly. His life was one of constant self-lowering—from His incarnation to His death on the cross. St. Gregory writes, “Our Redeemer’s whole life was a lesson in humility. He, the King of kings, was born in a manger; He, the Lord of glory, washed the feet of His disciples; He, the Creator of the world, submitted to death on a cross.”
This Gospel reminds us of the importance of humility as the foundation of the Christian life. St. Augustine emphasizes that without humility, all other virtues are in vain, for pride destroys the soul. He writes, “What is humility, but the foundation of all the virtues? If you cannot build without a foundation, neither can you be perfect without humility.”
The Pharisees, who often sought the admiration of others, represent the opposite of this humble posture. They desired the best seats and the highest honors, forgetting that true greatness in the Kingdom of God is found in service and lowliness. Christ’s parable exposes the danger of pride and the necessity of embracing humility to attain salvation.
The Call to Humility and Love
The readings from Eph 3:13-21 and Luke 14:1-11 together highlight the inseparable connection between humility and love. St. Paul’s prayer points us to the source of all love—Christ Himself—while the Gospel teaches us that humility is the proper response to that love. Just as Christ humbled Himself in the ultimate act of love, we too must humble ourselves if we wish to be filled with the fullness of God’s love.
As St. Bernard of Clairvaux so beautifully expresses, “Humility is the fear of the Lord, and it proceeds from His love, which requires us to think less of ourselves and more of others. Love without humility is impossible, for love seeks not its own, but the good of the beloved.” In humbling ourselves, we make room for Christ to dwell in us, and by embracing His love, we become capable of reflecting that love to the world.
Conclusion
In this season after the XVI Sunday after Pentecost, we are reminded through these scriptures that the path to exaltation in the Kingdom of God is through humility and love. St. Paul calls us to be rooted in the love of Christ, while Christ Himself teaches us the virtue of taking the lowest place. As we reflect on these readings, may we be strengthened by the Spirit to comprehend the depth of Christ’s love and, in turn, embody His humility in our lives.
By following the wisdom of the Church Fathers, who have meditated deeply on these truths, we are invited into the mystery of God’s love—a love that humbles itself to raise us up. Let us, therefore, seek the lowest place, trusting that in doing so, Christ will exalt us in His time.