“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Daily Reflections
Saturday, 4th November 2017.
Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of St. Charles Boromeo, Bishop
Rom 11: 1-2, 11-12, 25-29;
Ps 94: 12-15, 17-18 (R) 14;
Lk 14: 1, 7-11.
Each human person aspires to be someone great. We strive to be respected and to be recognized. But sometimes this thirst for power may lead to one’s downfall. In the first reading from the letter to the Romans, Paul speaks about the blindness of the Pharisees and Scribes, they were the scholars of the law and Scripture, yet in their pride failed to recognize the Messiah whom the scriptures spoke about. In our pursuit of fame, pleasure, luxury and power, we have the tendency to forget who we are. Good leaders become dictators, Justice begins to be met with unjust means. Humility on the other hand is to know who we are. It begins by acknowledging God as the source and purpose of our life. Then, it is to use all our talents, all which defines us for God, to give glory to Him and to help our fellow brothers and sisters.
In telling the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus strikes a chord in the hearts of those dining with Him at the Pharisee’s house. It is clear that His audience was filled with those who sought the esteem of others and were very concerned about their social reputation. It would have been a frightening thought for them to take the place of honor at a banquet only to be embarrassed by the host when asked to move to a lower spot. This humiliation was clear to those who were caught up in the world of social prestige. Jesus uses this embarrassing example as a way of highlighting their pride and the danger of living in such a prideful way. He goes on to say, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
We can never examine our consciences often enough concerning pride. Pride is referred to as the “Mother of all sins” for a reason. Pride leads to every other sin and, in many ways, is the source of all sin. Therefore, if we want to strive for perfection in life, we should seek true humility on a daily basis. Humility is nothing other than seeing things as they are. A humble person sees him/herself in the truth of God. This can be hard to do because it requires that we see ourselves as weak and dependent upon God. We may be able to accomplish many worldly things through our own strength and hard work. But we cannot achieve happiness and goodness unless we open ourselves to the truth of our weaknesses and dependence upon God for all things. Humility also helps to purify our hearts of something that is very hard to let go of. Let us reflect today, upon how free we are from pride? Let us walk down the road of true humility.
Prayer: Lord, please make me humble. Strip away all pride in my life so that I can turn to You and Your will alone. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.