HUMILITY

Today’s 1st reading tells us of the things St. Paul experienced for the spread of the gospel and building up of God’s Kingdom. Despite of it all he still considered it as something that he must not boast of. We may want to think about this ourselves whenever we complain and brag about something. Jesus always warns us of pride because our feeling of worthiness. Pope Benedict XVI said that holiness is not doing extraordinary things but following the will of God everyday by living one’s own vocation really well. This we can do through the help of prayer, with the word of God, the sacraments and with the daily effort for consistency to live a humble life. like the life of the saints. Humility is often seen in the life of the saints in seeking out the low things of the world. By not striving to seek out the things that are showy that would give worldly respect. The saints respect the humility they saw in our Lord in the Incarnation of God becoming man. The humility of God who lowered Himself and assume our human nature and then He gives us Himself in the Eucharist. He comes to us daily in the outward appearance in the form of bread. Not just the humility but the obedience of God to His Father’s will. The plan of God that Jesus would be offered up, to suffer and die for us. This is extreme humility that even to the point of death, Jesus is obedient. Jesus tells us in the scriptures, “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart.” St. Augustine in common understanding said that Jesus did not say Learn from me to make heaven and earth, make wonders and miracles, heal the sick, expel devils, raise the dead but learn of me to be meek and humble of heart. Humility, St. Thomas said, principally governs the will but also involve the intellect. In our thinking we have to recognize that God alone is the source of all good. He distributes His gifts as He wills. The humble person is not envious of the other people’s gifts as he knows that God is the source of all these gifts. It forms our thinking if we have this reverence for God and know our status as creatures which is the bedrock of humility. As St. Thomas says, it governs the will and our moderate striving to reach things and goals that are beyond us. Humility recognizes that all good and excellence is in God. Thus all creaturely good comes from God. Our pride tells us that we are the source of our own excellence. Although we strive for virtue we keep falling because we see ourselves as the source and not really depending on God and asking Him for the strength. We are not pleading to Him to win the victory in us. We are still trying to do it ourselves. According to Colossians Paul tells we have to cloth ourselves in heartfelt mercy, humility, kindness, meekness and patience. We have to practice humility with our neighbors by bearing with one another and the faults we all have, forgiving the grievances we have against one another as the Lord has forgiven us. Sometimes we tend to say that some sins against us by our brother or sister are unforgiveable in effect. St Paul tells us to put on love that binds all the virtues. Our love for God and our neighbor has to drive all our virtues into perfection. What St. Paul went through or anyone of us is going through right now is really nothing compared to what God has done for us. There is really none like the love of God for us which is the greatest love ever known. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 11:18.21b-30
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
To my shame I say that we were too weak! But what anyone dares to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness) I also dare.
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person.) I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death.
Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep;
on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers;
in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure.
And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world, it is only fitting for us to do exactly as the psalm reading tells us today. Amen. Hallelujah!


Psalms 34(33):2-3.4-5.6-7.
I will bless the LORD at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth.
My soul will glory in the LORD that the poor may hear and be glad.
Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, who answered me, delivered me from all my fears.
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush for shame.
In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.

It is only right that we focus on building up wealth and investment wisely and become truly rich not only in the eyes of man but most especially God. In today's gospel, Jesus is giving us a sound advice of how we can be truly rich. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 6:19-23
19 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”