In today's first reading, 1 Peter 5: 5b-14, St. Peter says to us: "Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."
Jesus models for us what it means to clothe oneself in humility. Here is the Son of God hidden in our humanity. He is like us in all things but sin. Most people, as they encountered Jesus during his short thirty-three years here on earth, did not know who he was, did not recognize him. They even accused him of being blasphemous, claiming to be God but being only a human being like them. Jesus did not argue with them and, in fact, remained silent before Pilate and his executioners. We are even told in the Scriptures that Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered and are reminded that we, too,
will learn obedience from what we suffer. Jesus showed us the way to be fully human, to be humble and obedient to the will of His Father and ours!
Jesus, the Son of God, is hidden today, as well: hidden in the piece of consecrated bread, hidden in each human being, hidden in all of creation, hidden in the events of our day! What humility! He does not shout out, claiming to be the One, in fact, doing good through us, in us, for us and around us. He does stand up and shout: I DID THAT GOOD DEED THROUGH YOU! WHY ARE YOU TAKING CREDIT FOR WHAT I AM DOING IN YOU, THROUGH YOU AND FOR YOU? Nor is Jesus offended by our egos claiming credit for what good is being accomplished by God at work in us.
Lord, help us in this battle with our egos. Our spirit selves recognize that it is You doing the good in and through us but our egos, like Adam and Eve's egos, insists on being God! When we allow our egos to be in control, to assume power that belongs to You and You alone, we lose our sense of peace and the joy of being Your partner, Your companion, Your servant. Yes, we cast ourselves out of the paradise of cooperating with you!
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