ANIMALS TEACH HUMILITY AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time / Feast of Saint Francis October 01 2017 10:30 AM Saint Cecilia Catholic Community Rev. David Justin Lynch Ezekiel 18:25-28 Psalm 25:4-9 Philippians 2:1-11 Matthew 21:28-31 + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN. Humility. That’s a very, very, difficult, extremely difficult, concept for humanity generally, particularly in the United States of America. Our culture communicates a message that sounds like this. “Be a winner.” “Be better than the next person.” “Be First.” That’s called the “achievement ethic”. It supports our meritocracy, that vertically rates everyone an everything. But all of that is the exact opposite of humility, not what the life and message of Jesus teaches us. Today’s Gospel relates an encounter between Jesus and the high priests and elders of the Jerusalem temple. They were not unlike today’s church hierarchy. We still have our share of chief priest