I can't get some voices from last Sunday's Gospel (21st Sunday in Ordinary Time) out of my craw. "Lord, open the door for us...We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets." Jesus' reply? "I do not know where you are from."
Entitlement. That's the word that comes to me when hearing these voices. Open the door for us! We've earned your company because we attend your Eucharist, we've heard your Word proclaimed. We deserve redemption!
Entitlement. It's a demon that strikes many--regardless of race, creed or economic status. It rises up in us on the roadways, at the shopping mall, the voting booth, in our relationships, our workplace..and in our church. Life becomes less about gift and more about what is entitled to us, what is our right to receive. We have some fundamental rights, indeed, and they are quite worthy of protecting, but my take is that the list of legitimate rights is far shorter than the list we end up creating.
Humility. The great counterbalance. The recognition that I am beloved of God despite my failures and even beyond my talents and successes. Humility. The recognition that all others, including my enemies, share the same status as beloved children of God.
Applying the DAF principle:
Do I really desire the gift of humility?
Am I attentive in the moments when the demon of entitlement rises to my surface?
Am I faithful to the simple prayer and practice of allowing humility be the gentle companion within me?
