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This week let’s reflect on the importance of humility. Humility is a foundation for so many virtues.

“Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

Think of yourself for a moment as a precious chalice. Before you can be consecrated to God for His divine purposes the chalice must first be empty and clean.

As we repent of our sins and come to God for forgiveness we are purified.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

It’s possible though to come to God for forgiveness and yet continue down a path of sin and impurity. If we are to truly belong to God we must bow down before Him and ask for His grace and Holy Spirit to inspire us to turn away from all of the things that offend God. True humility is to recognize our deep unworthiness and our sinful nature. Humility is to turn to God with confidence that He alone can assist us in making the choices that will honour Him.

I recall a story from my youth that speaks to the importance of submitting ourselves to God for wisdom and guidance. I was nine years old when one of the little boys in my class initiated a ‘paint fight’ with me. We were in art class filling up our trays with powder paint when one of the boys walked over to me and purposely tipped his paint tray on my new sweater. I was stunned that he would be so bold and cruel!  All of my little friends were complimenting me on my beautiful new green sweater when this little boy heard and was aroused to mischief. I was always a quiet and studious student and I never got into trouble, but that day I was motivated to ‘get even’.  There was a sudden hush around me as I filled my paint tray to the point where it was overflowing.  I then walked towards the boy who soiled my sweater and threw the whole paint tray on him. He was covered in multi-colour powder paint from head-to-toe and I had a small spot on my sweater.  I didn’t have much time to savour my moment of vengeance when the teacher flew towards us with a “What’s going on here!” angry voice. The teacher looked at both of us and told us we would now have to go visit the School Principal. The problem with that was that the principal in our Catholic school disciplined children with the strap!  “Oh No!” I thought “now I am going to be beaten!”

We sat in the Principal’s office listening to him explain how he would now be giving us the strap when I interjected. “Sir, you will have to get my Father’s permission first.” So he looked at me sternly and picked up the telephone and said, “What’s his number?” There was silence for a moment and I said, “My Father is God. You will have to pray to Him.” He was taken aback with my assertion that God was my Father and after a moment of reflection we were both told to return to our class while he considered the situation further.

We never got the strap that day because God intervened. I think the Principal humbled himself to considering God’s will. A few weeks later we heard that the strap would no longer be used to disciple the students. New detention procedures were enacted. I learned not too long ago that our school principal became a very devout man.

If we are to be humble instruments of God we must always be considering how would God want me to act in this particular situation. Arrogance prevents us from considering God’s opinion or anyone else’s opinion, but humility is always attentive to the little voice of our conscience guiding us to do God’s will.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

It was arrogance that caused Satan to exalt himself as though he were God and it is arrogance that makes us behave like we are worthy of honour, pleasure, praise etc. It took a little girl to open up a school principal to consider that hurting little children with a strap was not pleasing to God as a form of discipline. Perhaps this is why Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

Let’s bow before Our Lord Jesus today with child-like trust and tell Him how much we love Him! Let’s confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness. Let’s ask for the grace to look at our life and our choices to determine if we are serving God and giving Him glory or merely serving our own selfish desires.

“Blessed are the poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
To be ‘poor in spirit’ is to acknowledge our deep need for God’s grace to fulfill our human potential and become the people God desires us to be.

God has a plan for each of us, but unfortunately so often we are so busy creating our own plans that we fail to consider what God might want us to do.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

People spend so much time and effort building up their bank accounts, but often too little time allowing God to build them up spiritually.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24

The Chalice that is used in the Mass belongs exclusively to God. It does not get used for other purposes. We too must consider that we belong exclusively to God, to serve Him and one another. God has a ‘jealous love’ for us and He wants to guide every step of our life, influencing even the simplest of details. Don’t only pray to God when you are in trouble or stressed out, give Jesus your life today and invite Him to participate in every moment of your life. Let’s acknowledge that without Jesus we cannot accomplish anything!

Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Jesus often spoke in parables and images. The image of the life-giving vine helps us to understand the kind of persistent intimacy Jesus desires to have with us. If the branch disconnects from the vine, it dies.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death– even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2: 5-11

Friends of Christ, I invite you to join Christians all over the world that are doing something humble and beautiful every day to commemorate the great love of Our Lord Jesus. We are stopping at 3pm, the Time Jesus died for us (in our local time zones) to remember the Passion of Christ and pray for all souls to come to know and love Jesus! At this time we pray for the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of the most violent people on earth so that God’s holy love can bring peace on earth. Bow down at this time in profound humility and thank Jesus for dying for you and I promise you this daily moment of prayer and remembrance will open your heart and your mind to understand how much God loves YOU!

More info about A Peaceful Revolution in the Name of Jesus Christ here.