• Fr. Jeffrey R. Keyes
    • Psalms
    • Catechism Quizes
    • The Roman Catholic Priesthood
  • Blog
  • CV
  • St. Gaspar Del Bufalo
Omnia Christus est Nobis

Forty days at the foot of the Cross: Day 12

2/23/2016

0 Comments

 
The Gospel
Matt  23:1‑12             
 
                                           The greatest among you must be your servant.
                                         The exalted are humbled, the humble are exalted.
 
St. Gaspar
"Dear brothers, having these words of the Apostle in mind, we return this year to the spiritual exercises which may be the last of our lives!  Should not devotion to the ministry and its responsibility before God and the people call us to a most studious examination of our lives?  If St.  Paul, that exalted preacher of the Gospel, trembled, "for, having been an announcer myself, I should not want to be disqualified;"[1]   what, then, should be our portion who, in the light of so many circumstances, find every motive to truthfully acknowledge before the Divine Presence:  "I hardly deserve the name apostle"[2] . . .  ("If I am to boast"[3]) . . .  "I shall be happy to make my weaknesses my special boast."[4]  How important it is, therefore, to understand what the Apostle emphasizes in his letter to the Thessalonians:  "Make a point of living quietly, attending to your own business . . .  "[5]  Certainly, it is upon these points that we must direct our examination to achieve what is implied  in the text quoted."[6]
 
"Cultivate the virtue of humility, a virtue which I greatly urge you to develop."[7]
 
After awakening, we are to consecrate the beginning of the day to God: O God, you are my God, for you I long. (Ps 63:2).  Time is to be given to holy meditation which will be conducted by the one chosen to proclaim the divine word on these holy days. A generous amount of time is to be allowed for private prayer and for the individual practice of the virtue of humility. It is written that the wisdom of God is given to those who humble themselves and become childlike in his presence: Giving wisdom to the simple. (Ps 19:8) 
[8]
 
Reflection
The Blood of Christ is the expression of an extravagantly generous love.  This love calls for a response of loving obedience.  Jesus challenges us to self-examination.  Do we do what we do in life as a gift of self for others, or is everything done for self centered motives?  The discipline of Lent teaches the heart again the utter dependence on and hunger for God. But these disciplines can be misused and bring other gratification as well, the affirmation and praise of others.  All the titles used in our world and in our church, Teacher, Doctor, Father, Sister, Brother, Deacon, etc. are titles of service for others.  Yet we can be tempted to depend on the gratification the title earns us, or we can be called to serve as the title of respect demands.  St. Gaspar calls us to self examination as well, that we, who have cherished the Word of God, may not forget the call the Word give us.  The Word calls us to humility as well. Humility is the simple truth that the One who created us is simply beyond us, that we are his children. When we act like we are in charge, or in control, we sin against the truth. Only servants know the truth.

  • How do I behave because of who I am or what I have done?
  • What are some of the ways I can be a better servant?
  • When was the last time I desired to be the greatest?


[1] 1 Cor 9:27
[2] 1 Cor 15:19
[3] 2 Cor 11:30
[4] 2 Cor 12:9
[5] 1 Thess 4:11
[6] From the Third Circular Letter,  1829
[7] from letter 1281 to Luigi del Bufalo, December 9, 1825
[8] Method for Spiritual Exercises
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Omnia Christus Est Nobis

    Christ is everything for us!

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012

    Categories

    All
    Daily Homily
    Holy Matrimony
    Priesthood
    St. Gaspar
    The Liturgy
    Travel

    RSS Feed

    Incoming Missal
    Explanation Coat of Arms
    Dinner with Fr. Keyes 2015
    The Women Speak
    An American Priest in Ireland
    Bringing the "Catholic" back.
    Burying the Alleluia
    Sacristy Art I
    ​
    Sacristy Art II
    ​
    Sacristy Art III
    Sacristy Art IV
    Sacristy Art V
    Sacristy Art VI

    Years in Review
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    ​
    Decade in review
    ​2020

    Author

    I am a Roman Catholic Priest from California. I spent 13 wonderful years years as a member of the Province of the Pacific in the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The outline of my life can be traced here. 

    Friend's Blogs

    Melissa and Andrew Steele
    ​
    Fr. John Hogan OCD
    Joan from Rome​
    Fr. Joseph Illo