Stop Trying To Be Noticed

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There is something very human in today’s Gospel. Jesus notices how people are choosing the places of honour at the table. Everyone wants to sit a little closer to the front, a little nearer to the important people, in a place where they can be seen. And honestly, we still do the same thing. Maybe not at a banquet, but in life. We want to be noticed, appreciated, respected, recognised. We want people to see our work, our goodness, our sacrifices. And when they do not, it can quietly bother us more than we like to admit.

Jesus says, “Take the lowest place.” That sounds simple, but it is actually very difficult. Because humility is not thinking badly of yourself. Humility is being free from the need to constantly prove yourself. A humble person does not need to be the centre of the room. They do not need the last word. They do not need everyone to know how much they have done. They know who they are before God, and somehow that is enough. Maybe the real question is not, “Do people notice me?” but, “Can I still be faithful when nobody notices?”

There is a strange freedom in becoming less concerned about our place. So much of our anxiety comes from comparing. Who is ahead of me? Who gets more attention? Who is more successful? Who is more respected? But Jesus is saying: stop measuring your life by where you sit in comparison to others. Your worth does not come from being above someone else. Your worth comes from belonging to God. And once we really believe that, we do not have to fight for the best seat anymore.

Maybe this is where today’s Gospel becomes uncomfortable. Sometimes we do good things, but deep down we still want recognition. We serve, but we want to be thanked. We sacrifice, but we want someone to notice. We stay quiet, but we secretly hope someone will admire our humility. Even humility can become another way of wanting attention. And Jesus gently exposes all of that. He invites us to do good because it is good, to love because it is love, and to serve because He served us first.

At the end of the day, the lowest place is not really about a chair at a table. It is about the heart. It is about choosing a life where God’s opinion matters more than the crowd’s approval. And maybe the deepest freedom is this: I do not have to be impressive. I do not have to be important. I do not have to be noticed. I just have to be faithful. And Jesus says, “Whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Not because God wants to reward people who pretend to be small, but because only the humble heart is empty enough to be filled by Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, free me from the need to be noticed, praised, or admired. Teach me to be content with the place You give me, to serve without needing recognition, and to remember that my worth comes from You alone. Give me a humble heart, and help me to be faithful even when no one is watching. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko