I’m sure you’ve all heard of the saying great minds think alike. After reading the Gospel and reflecting on what I wanted to post today, I then read Bishop Barren’s reflection. This doesn’t happen often, but his thoughts were my thoughts this morning and because I need to get this done quickly, I’m going to post for you this morning his reflection on the Gospel.
Friends, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus pointedly calls us to humble behavior. “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.”
St. Catherine of Siena once heard the Lord say to her, “Remember that I AM and you are not.” And St. Paul said, “What do you have that you have not received? So why do you boast?”
To believe in God is to know these truths. To live them out is to live in the attitude of humility. Thomas Aquinas said that humility is truth. It is living out the deepest truth of things: God is God, and we are not.
Now, all of this sounds very clear when it’s stated in this abstract manner, but we know how hard it is to live out! In our fallen world, we forget so readily that we are creatures, that we have been made from nothing. Then our egos begin to inflate: “I am. I want. I expect. I demand.” The ego becomes a massive monkey on our backs, and it has to be fed and pampered constantly.
That’s why today’s Gospel is so important. We are only messengers, not greater than the Master.
Do something great for our Lord today – if you’re still working “for the man”, take “take the man” out to lunch today. (Here’s to hoping my assistants read this before lunch.)
God’s will, not mine, be done.
Be not afraid; just have faith.
Jesus, I trust in You.
He must increase; I must decrease.
(P.S. – Here’s to hoping I’m assigned assistants before lunch today AND that they read this post.)
St. Mary Magdalen Men of God 