Prayer is crucial for our spiritual life, yet we discover in the Gospel today the power that results when our prayers are grounded in the humility that recognizes our own weaknesses and sins. May we fervently call upon the Lord in our daily prayer, asking the one who knows us through-and-through for what we need.
Mass Readings – 30th Sunday of the Year
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Luke’s Gospel reminds us that before we confess someone else’s sins we might want to start with our own. The analogy about what is caught in our eye can help us from becoming blinded by our own pride.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 23rd Week of the Year
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The Book of Sirach exhorts us to “conduct our affairs with humility,” and through truth, honesty and perspective we can confront the pride in our hearts with this powerful (and often underappreciated) virtue.
Mass Readings – 22nd Sunday of the Year
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Both Jesus and the Psalmist show us that God knows us through-and-through. Rather than pretend (and become hypocrites,) we have the opportunity today to acknowledge our sins with humility and receive the grace of God.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 21st Week of the Year (St. Monica)
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Study: Reflect on a person who loves selflessly. What qualities do you see in their behavior toward others?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the awareness to see more clearly the needs of others, and the grace to respond with love.
Serve: How might you make a sacrifice to help someone? How might you let go of what you want in order to assist another in need?
Mass Readings – 22nd Sunday of the Year
The theme of humility surfaces throughout the readings this week. Check this out:
What does humility mean? What does it mean to say that a person is humble? The word is often misunderstood and misused, and yet it is an important concept in the Scriptures and Church teaching.
At it’s heart, humility is about our perspective of ourselves against a larger background. We are not the center of the universe! Rather, we understand that we exist in relationship to the Lord and one another.
God is the center and origin of our lives, from which we derive all grace and blessings. We are sustained in the mind of God, and invited to love the Lord with all our heart and mind, body and soul. For remember: the Lord loved us first, and out of love gave his Son to save us from our sins.
Yet the relationship is not just between ourselves and the Lord. We also exist in relationship to one another. We are part of a great communion of souls – both living and dead – and we are invited to grow in love of those around us.
Humility arises when we see ourselves clearly in the light of these relationships. We understand that our needs and wants are always set in the context of other (often far greater) concerns. When this happens we grow in awareness of how our lives interact and weave together, fostering communication, cooperation, and respect.
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Note: This post was first published on August 22, 2016.
Matthew’s Gospel offers a couple of key insights into God’s love for humanity. The Lord seeks us out when we are lost and astray with a compassion that knows no limit; our task is to humbly receive this gift with the openness of a little child.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 19th Week of the Year
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Sometimes we can get caught up in social status, cherishing feelings of importance and respect. In the Gospel today Jesus reminds us that true greatness lies in how we offer our lives, directing us away from external accolades and turning us toward the beauty of a life of humble service.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 30th Week of the Year
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