The Virtue of Humility and the Bright Joys of Heaven | Sunday Homily
Readings and Virtual Homily for August 31, 2025, Twenty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time; Sabbatical Ambitions; Summer Summer Summer; September Schedule
Readings for Mass this Sunday:
Sirach 3:17-18, 20. 28-29
Psalm 68:4-7, 10-11
Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Dear Friends and Family,
If this schedule looks a little light to you, it is only because it IS a little light. For one thing, I am traveling twice in September. But for another, Fr. Jesus (pastor) gives himself the occasional weekend where he takes all six Masses -- he wants to get to know the parish. He is one dedicated and hard-working brother, and I am delighted to be working with him. I've told him I think he takes on more than he should, but he just smiles. In any event, Fr. Jesus is the boss, and I am happy to do whatever I can to support and assist him. He is just wonderful.
The virtue of humility is the theme this Sunday, of both the first reading and the Gospel passage. It's an important topic and I don't want to neglect it, but in fact this week's readings include two of my favorite passages in all Scripture and I don't want to neglect them, either, even though neither has anything much to do with humility. These passages are from the psalm and the second reading. I'll turn to them after reflecting a bit first, on humility.
The author of the Book of Sirach (also called Wisdom of Ben Sira) writes in a style reminiscent of the Book of Proverbs. Sirach is a long book, fifty chapters, the first forty-three of which offer moral instruction; the last seven dedicated to a recounting of the deeds of Israel's ancestors going back to Abraham. It was one of the last of the books of the Old Testament written, dating to the early second century BC.
In today's passage, the author urges the virtue of humility, assuring readers that the more humble one is, the greater one is, in the sight of God (vss. 17-20). I think we sometimes misunderstand the true nature of humility -- by a simple phonetic association we might relate it to humiliation. And, of course, humiliation, deeply understood, can be associated with this virtue. If a proud and self-righteous person is humbled by circumstances or exposure, it can be a very good thing for that person.
Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride thwarts virtue; humility gives rise to it. That is, in the virtue of humility all the other virtues become possible. It is sometimes called the ground of all virtue, the most basic and necessary virtue, for without it, our practice of any other virtue is, at the least, adversely affected.
Possession of this virtue is not to be equated with self-abnegation, with a lack of self-esteem. If, for instance, you are a great skier and, upon completing a spectacular run at Incline, someone remarks upon your athleticism and skill. Complimenting you on both, it is not humble, to say you just got lucky. It is humble to say, "Well, I love the sport, have been blessed with many opportunities to practice it, and I am grateful to be able to do so." Humility is always honest; there is nothing of false modesty caught up with it.
Jesus gives what amounts to some basic practical advice with regard to humility, in today's passage from Luke. In advising his hearers not to seek a place of honor at a banquet his words run a parallel to the adage that pride goes before a fall. A person with a well-developed practice of the virtue of humility assumes little and presumes nothing. He or she is too honest, too open to reality, to do so. Pride can lead one into many mistaken apprehensions, causing conflict and disorder in relationships. The humble see things as they actually are, and navigate their way with both clarity and charity, with calm self-assurance and a ready acceptance even in difficult situations. Those adept at the practice of humility can often diffuse difficult situations; the prideful both provoke and prolong them.
Just a few thoughts on what I think is sometimes a very misunderstood virtue.
Now, about those two favorite passages. It is actually three, since there are two verses I want to quote from the psalm. The first is verse five, and it is included in today's reading. Here it is: "Sing to God, praise his name; exalt the rider of the clouds." The second verse I want to quote is not included in today's passage, it is verse thirty-four, where God is described as he "Who rides the heights of the ancient heavens."
Psalm 68 is sometimes associated with the Ascension; with these two striking images, it is easy to see why. I don't think there is much I can add to them, in terms of deepening our appreciation of them; I think they speak more than adequately on their own of the celestial majesty of God.
Finally there is this passage from today's second reading:
...you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels is festal array, and the assembly of the first-born enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel (vss. 22-24).
This is one of my favorite passages from the Letter to the Hebrews, which itself is one of my favorite books of Scripture. Again, there seems little reason to try to "improve" upon the passage by talking about it. It speaks eloquently by itself of the bright joys of heaven.
And here's a way perhaps to connect these bright celestial images with the main theme of today's homily -- it is humility which sets us on our way toward the attainment of heaven. It is the virtue of humility which guarantees our eventual perfection in the practice of all the virtues. It is the virtue of humility which underwrites our sainthood itself. Here's to humility!
I have been in SoCal again this week, as mentioned last e-mail. Book business in San Diego; book, You Tube, marketing and administrative business in LA. As I think most of you are aware, my brother Dan is my partner at San Gabriel. He has run his own publishing and media business in LA for over twenty years. With the creation of San Gabriel Media, I have become one of his biggest clients! Except that, in San Gabriel, Dan is one of his own clients, as well; as I say, we are partners. He tells me he wants to do San Gabriel as his retirement gig. I have a similar hope -- not that either one of us is anywhere near retirement.
In any event, this trip was all meetings. I will be doing some video work in LA, later this summer; right now all video production -- and there is a lot of it -- is happening in the East Bay. I have a new videographer this summer and he is very enthusiastic; is making himself available several hours a week. We are at the moment shooting all new stuff -- that is, episodes for several brand new series, not for the programs which are already in release. That will change later this fall -- I have many episodes for our three anchor series (all currently in release) that I want to film between now and the end of the year.
My goals for the sabbatical are several, but they include getting two new books written, and filming over 300 episodes of our various programs. My young camera guy in the East Bay and I are on track with this second goal; we have shot just over one hundred episodes since mid-July.
I'll close on a summery note, given that this summer is, as I have mentioned with delight several times, the first one since 2014 that did not "end in the middle" because of the academic schedule. Driving to LA Tuesday I stopped at Harris Ranch, along I-5 in Fresno County. I got out of the car and felt the 104-degree temperature, felt the wonderful dryness of the air, felt the hot but welcome breeze. I was taken back to boyhood in Marysville. I love Hayward's mild, sunny and breezy summers but that does not mean I cannot appreciate the desert-dry and reliably hot summers of the Central Valley. I do appreciate them. Sometimes I think -- speaking of retirement -- that I will retire to a venue that has summers like Marysville's. I would not have to leave the Oakland Diocese to do so. Both Brentwood and the Tri-Valley get hot (and dry) the way Marysville does.
Not, at all, that retirement is on my mind! On the other hand...maybe it is a bit...simply because I am so deeply enjoying my sabbatical. It does occur to me, now and then, this summer -- "This is a foretaste of retirement."
But seriously, it is years off. I have no plans at the moment, other than to keep working. Why not? If you love what you do, and if what you do is needed and appreciated...why stop doing it?
In any event, I am enjoying my sabbatical.
I'll close it here.
Take good care and God bless. Enjoy the later days of summer!
Fr. Brawn
September Mass Schedule:
Sunday, September 14
11 AM The Catholic Community of Pleasanton (Seton Campus)
Sunday, September 21
8 AM, 1115 AM (both English)
Weekday Masses (All 8 AM; English):
Monday the 1
Thursday the 11
Friday the 12
Saturday the 13
Monday the 15
Saturday the 20
Monday the 22