Strive to be Least

Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.
Mt.8:12

High office brings high risk. Best strive to be the least.

Jesus warns against pride that comes with exaltation. This is counter cultural in a world that exults the rich, the powerful, the beautiful and the brainy.

I am as susceptible as anyone to the lure of fame and admiration. The antidote? Kill the desire for exaltation. Strive to be the least.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,

Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being loved,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being honored,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being praised,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being approved,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being despised,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Charity

Charity is patient, is kind; charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth, bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:4-7).

To have Charity is to love God above all things for Himself and be ready to renounce all created things rather than offend Him by serious sin. ( Matt. 22:36-40)

Cardinal Merry del Val was the Secretary of State to Pope Saint Pius X (1903-1914)

New Life

When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. 
Lk.7:13

Jesus' compassion for the widow of Nain gives new life to her son. Death hasn't the final say.

I wonder if Jesus saw his own mother when looking at the distress of the widow of Nain. No husband. Son dead. If so, there is a message here. 

New life awaits on the other side of death. And the author of that new life is Jesus. This indeed is good news.

Jesus, give your heart so I may speak new life into those I meet today.
Saint Monica, please pray for me.

Authentic Me

Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption.
Mt.23:27

Hypocrisy is rotten corruption dressed up. No matter how pretty, it still stinks.

What's the opposite of hypocrisy? Authenticity. Honesty is a virtue worth pursuing. I recently addressed a room full of men. It was a testimony of the good, the bad and the ugly of my life. I was thanked by numerous men afterwards, not for being a shining, saintly example. No, I was thanked for being honest.

Authentic honesty invites a similar response. Afterwards some men shared with me dark areas they were struggling with. There is something very healing in bringing darkness out into the light. Shame is replaced by hope.

Of hypocrisy, deliver me oh Lord.

Inexhaustible Comfort and Sure Hope

Such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope.
2Th.2:16

Paul exhorts the Thessalonian Church to not be disturbed or deceived by false teaching. A sure sign of genuine good news is comfort and hope.

These are troubled times. False prophets manipulate portents to promote their own agendas. 

What is to be my response? Press further into Jesus and proclaim further out his Good News.

What does that look like? Inexhaustible comfort and sure hope.

Jesus, help me be the bearer  of inexhaustible comfort and sure hope to those I meet today.

You Know Lord

‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ I said, ‘You know, Lord.’ 
Ex.37:3

God shows Ezekiel the valley of dry bones and asks a question only God can answer. Ezekiel gives the only honest answer. "You know Lord."

God knows all. I don't. God is God. I'm not. There's a great reassurance in acknowledging that God is God. There are questions that are too great for me. My only response can be, "You alone know, Lord."

Jesus, I place my trust in you.

New Heart, New Spirit

I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh.
Ez.36:26

God promises a cleansing that gives a new, soft heart and a new spirit.

The inference is that I need regular cleansing. My heart and my spirit get tarnished and hardened. 

What dirties my spirit and hardens my heart? Selfishness, pride, judgement, lust. 

Time for confession.

When All Is Made New

 ...when all is made new...
Mt.19:28

This age has a beginning, and what we often forget, an end.

A new age is coming. We had a glimpse of this on the Feast of the Assumption did we not? Mary's assumption into heaven, body and soul, tells us heaven is going to be a fully human experience... but even better!

When all is made new the first will be last, the poor made rich, death will be defeated, no more sickness and pain. 

Fantasy? Jesus doesn't seem to think so. Neither do I.

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!