THE STRENGTH OF HUMILITY
Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch Zechariah 9:9-10; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25–30 There is an old story about a mighty oak tree and a bamboo plant growing beside a river. One day, a violent storm swept through the forest. The oak stood proudly, refusing to bend before the wind, while the bamboo bent low with every gust. When the storm passed, the mighty oak had been uprooted, but the bamboo was still standing. The oak confused strength with rigidity; the bamboo knew that true strength sometimes lies in humility. Our world admires power, influence, and dominance. Humility is often mistaken for weakness, and meekness for timidity. Yet today's readings reveal a different kind of greatness. God shows us that His greatest victories are won not through force but through humility. In the first reading, the prophet Zechariah speaks to a people longing for a powerful military king. Instead, God promises a King who comes “humble and ri...
