Daily Retreat 02/03/08
2008 Feb 3 SUN: FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Zep 2: 3; 3: 12-13/ Ps 145(146): 6-7. 8-9. 9-10/ 1 Cor 1: 26-31/ Mt 5: 1-12a
From today’s readings: “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who have observed His law; seek justice, seek humility.... The LORD raises up those who were bowed down.... God chose the lowly and despised of the world.... Blessed are the meek.... ”
Formula for Success
Paradoxically enough, one of the essential marks of Christian greatness is humility. Not just humility in graciously accepting lavish compliments, not just humility in quietly making the most of one’s own strengths, but practiced humility that permeates one’s entire life, polishing the soul with a glow quite akin to holiness.
You see, humility is not self-effacement or self-debasement, though the terms are often mistakenly interchanged. If a man stands six feet tall, plainly there’s no virtue at all in stooping to say, “Don’t mind me - I’m just five foot three!” Nor is there much humility to see when a woman of true beauty feigns to disarm her charm with a practiced aside, “I’m such a homely old bride!”
In truth, humility is truth, nothing more, nothing less. But never just a fleeting, momentary truth - always, instead, humility highlights truth certified from the standpoint of eternity.
So if you are rich, nothing prevents you from embracing humility. Granted, your own hard labor has enriched your wealth, but Providence provided that very strength to work, and had a hand in every opportunity to make the work worthwhile, and necessarily other people figured too in your formula for success - humility clearly accounts for all this!
Are you intelligent? Surely your studies have sharpened your mind, but the Omniscient put that head on your shoulders, and others too have fed your hunger for knowledge, and humility knows such! Yes, your formidable strength has been tuned and toned with exercise, but, as Paul writes, “no flesh may boast before God,” for ’twas the Creator Himself who gave you the breath of life, and molded you with muscles to use, so Mother and others could teach you to walk - humility does not skip such steps!
Humility is hard truth, so often does one stumble on the road to become humble. But Zephaniah the prophet urges that we do more than merely meekly taking the hard knocks of life - humility, like justice, must be positively sought and pursued!
But how easy and how often does the pursuit of humility turn into such a vain chase! No hunter alone, though skilled and mighty, can net such prey; but prayer alone, fulfilled to God Almighty, can catch such quarry!
For Jesus revealed His own formula of success - not just for Him, but also for us: Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure of heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, - blessed are all these who humbly mirror our blessed Lord, who merely humbled Himself to bless our world!
Zep 2: 3; 3: 12-13/ Ps 145(146): 6-7. 8-9. 9-10/ 1 Cor 1: 26-31/ Mt 5: 1-12a
From today’s readings: “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who have observed His law; seek justice, seek humility.... The LORD raises up those who were bowed down.... God chose the lowly and despised of the world.... Blessed are the meek.... ”
Formula for Success
Paradoxically enough, one of the essential marks of Christian greatness is humility. Not just humility in graciously accepting lavish compliments, not just humility in quietly making the most of one’s own strengths, but practiced humility that permeates one’s entire life, polishing the soul with a glow quite akin to holiness.
You see, humility is not self-effacement or self-debasement, though the terms are often mistakenly interchanged. If a man stands six feet tall, plainly there’s no virtue at all in stooping to say, “Don’t mind me - I’m just five foot three!” Nor is there much humility to see when a woman of true beauty feigns to disarm her charm with a practiced aside, “I’m such a homely old bride!”
In truth, humility is truth, nothing more, nothing less. But never just a fleeting, momentary truth - always, instead, humility highlights truth certified from the standpoint of eternity.
So if you are rich, nothing prevents you from embracing humility. Granted, your own hard labor has enriched your wealth, but Providence provided that very strength to work, and had a hand in every opportunity to make the work worthwhile, and necessarily other people figured too in your formula for success - humility clearly accounts for all this!
Are you intelligent? Surely your studies have sharpened your mind, but the Omniscient put that head on your shoulders, and others too have fed your hunger for knowledge, and humility knows such! Yes, your formidable strength has been tuned and toned with exercise, but, as Paul writes, “no flesh may boast before God,” for ’twas the Creator Himself who gave you the breath of life, and molded you with muscles to use, so Mother and others could teach you to walk - humility does not skip such steps!
Humility is hard truth, so often does one stumble on the road to become humble. But Zephaniah the prophet urges that we do more than merely meekly taking the hard knocks of life - humility, like justice, must be positively sought and pursued!
But how easy and how often does the pursuit of humility turn into such a vain chase! No hunter alone, though skilled and mighty, can net such prey; but prayer alone, fulfilled to God Almighty, can catch such quarry!
For Jesus revealed His own formula of success - not just for Him, but also for us: Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure of heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, - blessed are all these who humbly mirror our blessed Lord, who merely humbled Himself to bless our world!
posted by FrPitstick | 2/01/2008
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