The path of humility
Gospel Reflection
Today is Friday of the second week of advent and we are reminded in our readings to take the path of humility for us to be able to truly listen and follow God's desire for us.
Our first reading reminds us that God's desire for us is that which is best for us, and so we should listen to Him, we should do what he commands us to do. If we follow him, we will definitely receive the abundance that he has promised us.
But do we listen to our Lord? During mass, in the readings and the reflection of the priest, do we even listen? Nah, because who really wants to listen to other people's yacking.
In our gospel reading Jesus compares the people of his time with children who are hard to satisfy, hard to understand because at times they do not really do what they say they want. What is it that they really want to do?
At times, most of the time, we are like that. God tells us to do what is good for us, to follow his path, but then we have our own plans and we believe our way is better than God's way because most of the time we get the instant gratification and satisfaction from what we do. With God's way, we have to make sacrifices, we have to experience difficulty, how can all these pain lead us to heaven? We want salvation, we want eternal bliss, God is telling us how to achieve it, but we don't do what he tells us to do, that is to love - to love Him above all else and to love our neighbors most specially our enemies. Why would I do that? I am the one in need of loving, why should I give that which I do not have or have not even experienced? But you have love, you have experienced His love, maybe you are just afraid or too lazy to share that love with others. And then we complain.
That's what happened during the time of Christ, God is telling them through John that the Messiah is coming and for them to prepare the way. Then because the way to prepare the way that John is telling them is not to their liking, they accuse him of being possessed by the demon. When Jesus came and ate and drank with people who have been relegated to the margins, who have been discriminated because they do not meet the standards of society, they accuse him of being a glutton and a drunkard. What else can God do? We always have a reason to discredit his prophets and even God himself.
Humility is what we need my dear brothers and sisters in order for us to allow ourselves to submit to the desires of God. Humility allows us to trust in God's plans, to listen to God's words, to take the path that He has prepared for us. Because only in humility would we be able to admit that our way will never be better than God's way.
Let our psalm then be our constant reminder, that those who follow our Lord, will have the light of life.
Now it is time for us to prepare his path to our hearts. Let us desire humility so that we would be able to do this with conviction, fully trusting in His beautiful plan for us.
Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash
Jesus said to the crowds:
"To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
'He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by her works."
Today is Friday of the second week of advent and we are reminded in our readings to take the path of humility for us to be able to truly listen and follow God's desire for us.
Our first reading reminds us that God's desire for us is that which is best for us, and so we should listen to Him, we should do what he commands us to do. If we follow him, we will definitely receive the abundance that he has promised us.
But do we listen to our Lord? During mass, in the readings and the reflection of the priest, do we even listen? Nah, because who really wants to listen to other people's yacking.
In our gospel reading Jesus compares the people of his time with children who are hard to satisfy, hard to understand because at times they do not really do what they say they want. What is it that they really want to do?
At times, most of the time, we are like that. God tells us to do what is good for us, to follow his path, but then we have our own plans and we believe our way is better than God's way because most of the time we get the instant gratification and satisfaction from what we do. With God's way, we have to make sacrifices, we have to experience difficulty, how can all these pain lead us to heaven? We want salvation, we want eternal bliss, God is telling us how to achieve it, but we don't do what he tells us to do, that is to love - to love Him above all else and to love our neighbors most specially our enemies. Why would I do that? I am the one in need of loving, why should I give that which I do not have or have not even experienced? But you have love, you have experienced His love, maybe you are just afraid or too lazy to share that love with others. And then we complain.
That's what happened during the time of Christ, God is telling them through John that the Messiah is coming and for them to prepare the way. Then because the way to prepare the way that John is telling them is not to their liking, they accuse him of being possessed by the demon. When Jesus came and ate and drank with people who have been relegated to the margins, who have been discriminated because they do not meet the standards of society, they accuse him of being a glutton and a drunkard. What else can God do? We always have a reason to discredit his prophets and even God himself.
Humility is what we need my dear brothers and sisters in order for us to allow ourselves to submit to the desires of God. Humility allows us to trust in God's plans, to listen to God's words, to take the path that He has prepared for us. Because only in humility would we be able to admit that our way will never be better than God's way.
Let our psalm then be our constant reminder, that those who follow our Lord, will have the light of life.
Now it is time for us to prepare his path to our hearts. Let us desire humility so that we would be able to do this with conviction, fully trusting in His beautiful plan for us.
Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash
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