Humility

Happy Monday, dear reader! Today we are taking another step into Holy Week. In our readings, we are reminded that we are in humble servitude to God, but we do this willingly because of His unending love for us.

The reading in Isaiah foretells that God is sending us a servant. But not just any servant. He will be someone who will save those who believe in God, who will glorify His name and that He will bring peace and unity to those who wait for Him. 

It also mentions the fact that before this happens, God will send a messenger to announce this arrival and that the things He has said will happen will be confirmed, "See, the earlier things have come to pass, new ones I now foretell" (Is 42:9, NAB). God is saying "look, I kept my word. Did these things not happen already? There are also new things to come." This instills in us our belief that we can trust in God's words and promises. It gives us a hope to hold on to as we move forward. It's sort of a cliffhanger! We need to hold on so we can see how this all ends. 

John's Gospel tells the story of the woman who comes to annoint the feet of Jesus. She uses an oil that is very expensive, and this angers Judas. This is the same man who will betray Jesus. So we already know what a lowlife he is. Judas wanted the money that the oil would bring, for himself. Jesus quietly and calmly explains that the oil is not wasted. This will be the same oil that will be used to annoint His body upon His death, "So Jesus said, 'Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, buy you do not always have Me.'" (Jn 12:7-8). Jesus saw that this act was important to Mary (not Mary, His mother). He also knew that the oil would be needed upon His death, as Jewish tradition called for the anointing of the dead. Again, He is prophesying His death. 

Our readings today are rather heavy. But, that's a good thing, as it gets us thinking. And Holy Week is a good time for that. We reflect on those things that we gave up for Lent, we reflect on our faith and the suffering that Jesus endured, we reflect on what's really imporant in this life. We see how far we've come, but also how much further we have yet to go. Let this week remind you that nothing comes easy, especially when it comes to our faith. The next time you grumble about how unfair life is, remember Jesus on that cross. An innocent Man killed because of the injustice of man. An innocent Man put to death so that you can be free. Kind of puts things in a different light, doesn't it?

Be blessed, dear reader. And, as always... be a nice human. 😇

Father Bill's reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofBTYDROJMc

Even though this is a more of a Christmas song, I thought it rather fitting for this post: https://youtu.be/ifCWN5pJGIE

Fidelity to God

Good Morning beautiful reader!! It sure is a chilly one here this morning! I hope you had a chance to read my post on methods of bible study! It should be helpful to both you and me! This morning, I am going to use the questions from my study guide to help guide me in todays reflection.

• Point one-- An important lesson we learn from Hosea has to do with the theological method; that is, that the way to knowledge of God is through the observation of human experience. 

• How is God like a faithful spouse, a loving parent, a friend seeking an enduring relationship?

    We know that God is always with us. He is someone we can go to when we need some tender loving care. "In their affliction, they shall look for me: "Come, let us return to the Lord", For it is He who has rent, but He will heal us." (Hs 6:1, NAB). 

    In verse 4, God sounds very much like a weary parent, "What can I do to you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah?" He has already doled out punishment, yet they still won't obey. Oh do I ever hear that one!! God will punish to get His point across, to let you know that you did something displeasing. But, much like any parent, He will not stop loving you just because you messed up. 

• What does infidelity do to human relationships? Would the same things apply to our relationship to God?

    Infidelity can kill a relationship. BUT... it can also signal that there is something missing in the relationship. There are repairs to be made. The question you need to ask yourself is if you are willing to work on the relationship to heal it or would you rather walk away? 

    I think the same can apply to our relationship with God, except we are the ones susceptible to infidelity. We can find ourselves straying from God's path. We become enmeshed in secular persuits. We forget to make time for God. Or, something drastic can happen in our lives that makes us question God's presence or feel that God is punishing us for something, only we don't know what that something is. 

    This is why we daily have to make an effort to evaluate where we stand in our faith. Is there something missing? Are you making an effort? Are you confessing your sins to God? A relationship doesn't work if both parties aren't making an effort. 

•  Point two-- In Luke's Gospel, it makes the point that Disciples participate in the mission of Jesus. Disciples become participants in Jesus' ministry. They embody the reversals and the counter-cultural values of the Kingdom. They abandon wealth or put it at the disposal of the needy. Disciples give without expecting in return. They don't seek security in the things of this world, but store up treasures in heaven. They seek greatness by being servants of all.

    We see this lesson throughout the Bible. We must not become slaves to material things. We must not be selfish with what we have. Part of being a Christian is giving back to others, to doing for others what we would want done for us.  Just because you may be financially secure, or wealthy for that matter, does not guarantee that you are a good person. It will not guarantee you a spot in heaven. 

    Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them."

    You are to stay humble when we do for others. When you boast about the things you have done, when you make a point to let people know how good you are for doing for others, then it is not doing it for the glory of God. You are doing it to bring attention to yourself. To assure yourself a place in heaven. But that's not how it works, folks! Do good for others, be humble when doing it, do not seek attention, do not boast about it. As Nike used to say "Just Do It!" 

   In the matter of fidelity (going back to Hosea) God has already prepared us the way in which to travel through life. If we remain faithful to Him, if we abide by Him, we will see our reward in heaven.  

Wow.. this one really got away from me. I do apologize. I pray your day is blessed. And, as always, be a nice human. 😇

For a shorter version, check out Father Bill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5w7WVECaNU

This is a great video by my favorite group, Casting Crowns. It speaks to what we learned today. Start Right Here

Humility

For today's reflection, I decided to go with a website instead of writing my own. Sometimes other sources can do better than I could do. So read on, lovely people......

Humility seems like such a contradiction.  We are easily tempted to think that the way to greatness involves letting everyone know all that we do well.  There is a constant temptation for most people to put forward their best face and to hope others will see that and admire it.  We want to be noticed and praised.  And we often try to make that happen by the little things we do and say.  And often we tend to exaggerate who we are.

On the flip side, if someone criticizes us and thinks ill of us it has the potential of being devastating.  If we hear that someone said something negative about us we may go home and be depressed or angry about it the rest of the day, or even the rest of the week!  Why?  Because our pride is wounded and that wound can hurt.  It can hurt unless we have discovered the incredible gift of humility.

Humility is a virtue that enables us to be real.  It enables us to cut through any false persona we may have and simply be who we are.  It enables us to be comfortable with our good qualities as well as our failures.  Humility is nothing other than being honest and true about our lives and being comfortable with that person.

Humility is sincerity and genuineness.  And when people see this quality in us they are impressed.  Not so much in a worldly way but in an authentic human way.  They will not look at us and be envious, rather, they will look at us and see the true qualities we have and enjoy them, admire them and want to imitate them.  Humility enables the real you to shine through.  And, believe it or not, the real you is someone who others want to meet and get to know.

Jesus gives us a wonderful lesson in today's Gospel reading that is very hard to live but is absolutely key to living a happy life.  He wants us to be exalted!  He wants us to be noticed by others.  He wants our light of goodness to shine for all to see and for that light to make a difference.  But He wants it done in truth, not by presenting a false persona.  He wants the real “me” to shine forth.  And that is humility.

Reflect, today, on how genuine you are.  Make this time of Lent a time when the foolishness of pride is shattered.  Let God strip away every false image of yourself so that the true you can shine forth.  Humble yourself in this way and God will take you and exalt you in His way so that your heart can be seen and loved by those around you.

**Be Blessed, dear reader. And, as always, be a nice human.😇**

PRAYER:

Lord of perfect humility, make me humble.  Help me to be sincere and honest about who I am.  And in that honesty, help me to let Your Heart, living in mine, shine through for others to see.  Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.

Source:

Today's reflection comes from My Catholic Life, Catholic Daily Reflections.

https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2022/03/14/the-exaltation-of-the-humble-of-heart-2/

**Remember, copy and paste link into your browser**

Saturday after Lent

 

Read: Isaiah 58: 9-14; Luke 5: 27-32

Did you ever wonder why Jesus hung out with the lowliest of people? It was because He knew that those people needed Him more than those who followed His word and His expectations. As He remarked in Luke, "I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinners." (Luke 5:32, NAB). 

Think of it like this, when you are sick, you call a doctor. You are in need of some form of healing. Well, Jesus is that doctor. He heals your sins. But, you also see the doctor regularly to make sure you stay healthy. You want to prevent yourself from getting sick in the first place. Same deal with Jesus, except you see Him on a daily basis. You ask Him to keep you on the straight and narrow. However, try as we might to stay on this path, we are all human. We are all sinners. So, back we go to Dr. Jesus to once again heal us, to make us better. 

When you go to the doctor, at the end of your visit you are expected to pay for your visit. For some, this can be a costly venture. For others, not so much. Well, guess what?! Jesus doesn't heal us for free, either. He expects some sort of "payment". Only this payment comes from our heart and spirit. He wants us to work for that healing. He expects you to come to Him willingly and admit your wrong doings, admit your faults, ask forgiveness. This means giving of ourselves, whether it be in doing for others or through prayer and repentance or both. 

From the moment we are born, we are already in debt to Jesus. He had to die so that we could live through Him. He already knew we were sinners. He already knew what it was to suffer. So, for us to want to "give back", to pay down that debt, it is the least we can do for Him. This is precisely why we come to Him with humility and a grateful heart for His sacrifice. 

At the end of the day, when we look back on money we spent that day, when we balance out the checkbook, make sure you look back on what you did that day. Make sure you "make a payment" to Jesus. This way, you start tomorrow with a clean slate. 

God Bless and keep Jesus in your heart.