Acquire humility

 

Imitate the humility of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . . How do I respond to words of praise from others? Do I imitate the humility of Mary? 

CLOSING PRAYER From a prayer of St. Bernard of Clairvaux: You, Mary, are the beautiful garden in which God has planted all the flowers that adorn the Church—among others, the violet of your humility, the lily of your purity, the rose of your charity. With whom can we compare you, O mother of grace and beauty?

Thigpen, Paul. A Year with Mary: Daily Meditations on the Mother of God (pp. 405-406). Saint Benedict Press. Kindle Edition. 

The Four Types of Pride and How to Root Them Out

 The Four Types of Pride and How to Root Them Out (catholicexchange.com)

The least speck

 

Cowardly Leadership

I don't know where to put this reflection on today's Palm Sunday gospel - so here I will put it here. This is an important cautionary tale to leaders. Be careful of the cowardly, tendency to acquiesce to the demands of the mob.  If you know what is right to do, than do the right thing - that is the call to courageous leadership. 

Initially, Pilate knows the right thing to do and resists the crowd saying "You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”

But the crowd demands the blood of this man and Pilate relents. How many times in our current times do we see the same cowardly behavior in leadership, in media, in ourselves? Be brave!! We know the right thing to do, we only need to be courageous enough to do it. God help us! God save us! Amen.

On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;
and upon learning that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was very glad to see Jesus;
he had been wanting to see him for a long time,
for he had heard about him
and had been hoping to see him perform some sign.
He questioned him at length,
but he gave him no answer.
The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile,
stood by accusing him harshly.
Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him,
and after clothing him in resplendent garb,
he sent him back to Pilate.
Herod and Pilate became friends that very day,
even though they had been enemies formerly.
Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people
and said to them, “You brought this man to me
and accused him of inciting the people to revolt.
I have conducted my investigation in your presence
and have not found this man guilty
of the charges you have brought against him,
nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us.
So no capital crime has been committed by him.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”

But all together they shouted out,
“Away with this man!
Release Barabbas to us.”
— Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion
that had taken place in the city and for murder. —
Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus,
but they continued their shouting,
“Crucify him!  Crucify him!”
Pilate addressed them a third time,
“What evil has this man done?
I found him guilty of no capital crime.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”
With loud shouts, however,
they persisted in calling for his crucifixion,
and their voices prevailed.
The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted.
So he released the man who had been imprisoned
for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked,
and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.

Palm Sunday Readings

And furthermore, "The Master has need of it"

accept the gift of Jesus Christ’s healing love

This is the No given because we want to make the world for ourselves and are not ready to accept it as a gift from God. “Sooner remain in debt than pay with a coin that does not bear our own portrait—that is what our sovereignty demands”, as Nietzsche once said. The camel will not go through the eye of the needle; it sticks its proud hump up, so to speak, and is thus unable to get through the gate of merciful kindness. 

I think we all ought to ask ourselves, right now, whether we are not just like those people whose pride and vainglory will not let them be cleansed, let them accept the gift of Jesus Christ’s healing love. 

Besides this refusal, which arises from the greed and the pride of man, there is, however, also the danger of piety, represented by Peter: the false humility that does not want anything so great as God bending down to us; the false humility in which pride is concealed, which dislikes forgiveness and would rather achieve its own purity; the false pride and the false modesty that will not accept God’s mercy. 

But God does not wish for false modesty that refuses his kindness; rather, he desires that humility which allows itself to be cleansed and thus becomes pure. This is the manner in which he gives himself to us.

Ratzinger, Cardinal Joseph. God Is Near Us (pp. 31-32). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition. 

charity will come to life