While we celebrate the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, I do wish to incorporate some of the writings of St. Augustine, son of St. Monica. Their personal feast days were yesterday for the faithful Mom and today for the errant son who became an extraordinary Bishop in the Catholic Church, St. Augustine.
The readings your heard today revolve around the virtue of humility. Those who were here two weeks ago may recall my reflecting upon the humility of of Mary, Mother of Jesus. She knew well what true humility was: recognizing the talents and gifts of God and using them for the good of others. This was so clear in Mary’s prayer, The Magnificat. I link Mary and Augustine because both recognized what true humility is about: not hiding one’s talents under a bushel basket!
Augustine was a man of genius. Most likely he would never have been proposed to a Pope to become a bishop in today’s Church. The vetting process would, most likely block his recommended appointment. How much Christianity would have lost!
Augustine recognized his weaknesses, his failures for sure. This became evident in his writings in The Confessions. At one point in his life he realized and accepted his sinner-status and turned to God. As some of our brethren in different faith practices would say: “This man of great intelligence and equally as blind to his Creator God had a moment when he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart.”
This saint wrote these words he prayed to Jesus: “You ovecame the weakness of my vision ... and I trembled with love and dread. I learned that I was in a region unlike yours and for distant from you...” He commented he had heard these words from “on high”: “I am the food of grown men; grow then, and you will feed on me. Nor will you change me into yourself like bodily food but you will be changed into me.”
This “change into me”: is this why so many people shy away from humility? Are they frightened that God will take over in their lives? Perhaps, as we grow older, we might recall frequently cited words from this unique saints writings.
“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you. . . . You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched you . . . . You were with me, but I was not with you. . . . You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness . . . and you dispelled my blindness. . . . I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”
Perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus is calling you, me and many others to a genuine humility that will help us find the life that we want to have for ourselves. It is the humility that will lift our hearts and mind to a new reality that God want us to have.
The readings your heard today revolve around the virtue of humility. Those who were here two weeks ago may recall my reflecting upon the humility of of Mary, Mother of Jesus. She knew well what true humility was: recognizing the talents and gifts of God and using them for the good of others. This was so clear in Mary’s prayer, The Magnificat. I link Mary and Augustine because both recognized what true humility is about: not hiding one’s talents under a bushel basket!
Augustine was a man of genius. Most likely he would never have been proposed to a Pope to become a bishop in today’s Church. The vetting process would, most likely block his recommended appointment. How much Christianity would have lost!
Augustine recognized his weaknesses, his failures for sure. This became evident in his writings in The Confessions. At one point in his life he realized and accepted his sinner-status and turned to God. As some of our brethren in different faith practices would say: “This man of great intelligence and equally as blind to his Creator God had a moment when he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart.”
This saint wrote these words he prayed to Jesus: “You ovecame the weakness of my vision ... and I trembled with love and dread. I learned that I was in a region unlike yours and for distant from you...” He commented he had heard these words from “on high”: “I am the food of grown men; grow then, and you will feed on me. Nor will you change me into yourself like bodily food but you will be changed into me.”
This “change into me”: is this why so many people shy away from humility? Are they frightened that God will take over in their lives? Perhaps, as we grow older, we might recall frequently cited words from this unique saints writings.
“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you. . . . You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched you . . . . You were with me, but I was not with you. . . . You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness . . . and you dispelled my blindness. . . . I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”
Perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus is calling you, me and many others to a genuine humility that will help us find the life that we want to have for ourselves. It is the humility that will lift our hearts and mind to a new reality that God want us to have.
