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Humility is a conscious choice to place God’s plans before our own plans. We all possess beauty and love and gifts that are unique to us as individual persons and souls. Humility enables us to slow down, to listen for God, and to contemplate the things that He places on our hearts. This enables us to understand who we are in the eyes of the Lord.

In Mary, the Mother of Jesus and His first disciple, we find humanity’s most profound example of the grace and power of humility.

We know that God is Love; and because we are made in God’s image, we know and believe the Love that God has for us. (1 John 4: 16, Genesis 1: 26-27) We also know that God has a plan for each and every one of our lives — plans to give us a future and hope that covers all things. (Jeremiah 29: 11)

The plan that God had for Mary’s life was extraordinary:

“The Lord created me at the beginning of His work,
the first of His work,
the first of His acts of old.

“Ages ago, I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of
the earth.

“When there were no depths I was
brought forth,
when there were no springs
abounding with water.

“Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth;
before He had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.

“When He established the heavens, I was there,
when He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when He made firm the skies above,
when He established the fountains of the deep,
when He assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress His command,
when He marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside Him, like a master workman;
and I was daily His delight,
rejoicing before Him, always,
rejoicing in His inhabited world
and delighting in the sons of men.”
Proverbs 8: 22-31

The prophet Isaiah revealed one part of Mary’s mission:

“Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.” Isaiah 7: 14

What do we know more broadly about Mary’s life? She is largely an indistinct figure within the Bible. She receives the most mention in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, but there are so many details of Mary’s life that we do not know.

As the human Mother of our Divine Savior, Mary’s mission continues today. Throughout the last 20 centuries, there have been reports of Mary appearing to both children and adults, which again is quite extraordinary. The Catholic Church recorded that her first appearance was to St. James in Spain, around A.D. 40.

No other human in the history of the world has fired the imagination more than Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Mary holds an exalted position even in the Koran, the central religious text of Islam that is believed to be a revelation directly from God. Mary is mentioned 70 times within that text — and she is the only woman mentioned in the Koran.

Through Muslim eyes, Mary is also exceptional. While the Muslim faith does not recognize the Divinity of Jesus, it does recognize the purity of Mary and Jesus both, and the miraculous Virgin conception of Jesus. The Quran 3:42 says, “O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.”

But through Christian eyes, Mary’s choice to place God’s plans before her own enabled Divine Love and Mercy to briefly take human form, offering a path to forgiveness and reconciliation with God the Father.

This Lenten season of reflection on the sacrifice and promise that Jesus offers us can also be a special time to ponder the life, humility and love of Mary, His Mother.

On the one-year anniversary of the assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Saint Pope John Paul II emphasized in his May 13, 1982, address, “Since Mary is the mother of us all, her care for the life of man is universal.” 

I cherish these words from the letter that St. Paul wrote to believers in the city of Philippi, an important Roman colony in Greece. Paul knew how destructive worry and fear can be. He wrote these words while imprisoned under Roman guard, which makes Paul’s challenge to us to trust in Jesus and to rejoice in all situations even more inspiring and amazing:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say REJOICE. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is ANYTHING worthy of praise, THINK about these things.

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4: 4-9)

Picking up on last week’s post about practicing humility — humility is a conscious choice to place God’s plans before our own plans and egos.

Ego is a complex thing. On one hand, ego enables us to make order out of chaos by navigating the tensions that exist among our human urges and needs and the external realities and norms of society. Used with moderation and in a spirit of love, ego can be a somewhat productive thing.

The danger of ego, however, lies in the limitations it imposes through separation. Ego is tied to our sense of personal identity. Within the physical world, our identities are far too often defined through comparions of ourselves to others, pushing us to “fit in” and to “be seen” in a world where the “kingdom of self” often reigns supreme.

Ego goes where the crowds are — and where there appears to be safety in numbers. But as St. Paul reminds us, Jesus is not calling us to spend our lives and energies focused on what the world views as good and acceptable. Jesus is calling you and me to discover what is good and acceptable in the eyes of His Father:

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

A lack of humility is a dangerous thing. Old Testament prophets shared visions of the fall of Lucifer (the devil), one of God’s most magnificent and beloved angels. Here is Ezekiel’s description of how pride and ego turned an angel into a devil:

“You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty … with an annointed guardian cherub, I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked … Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. [So] I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings.” Ezekiel 28: 12, 14. 17

The same danger exists for our souls. As Christians, we recognize that we are mind, body, heart and soul. Jesus himself described the importance of loving God “‘with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your [bodily] strength.'” (Mark 12: 30)

So our earthly lives present a starting point for the ultimate journey of our souls. Because we are more than our temporal bodies, the actions we take on earth will define how we spend eternity. Although the choice to let go of ego and to practice humility is ours to make, Jesus is fighting hard for our souls. A friend of mine who is a Jesuit priest once said:

“Christ comes into our lives to strike His sword between our egos and our souls. It is a tough act, separating the ego from the soul. But in following Christ, we can find a way to separate and distance ourselves from ego.”

This image of Christ is sobering and dramatic. My friend shared these words during his homily at a Sunday mass. He had moved away from the pulpit and was standing halfway back the center aisle of the church, among all of us. He paused for a few seconds, encouraging us to think about what he had just said.

We all possess beauty and love and gifts that are unique to us as individual persons and souls. Humility enables us to slow down, to listen for God, and to understand who we are in the eyes of the Lord. I hear God whisper on my heart:

Distance yourself from pride and the worry of not being enough or having enough. Your ego holds you back. Stop seeking the affirmations of the world. Can you not see that these worldly things will never be enough to fill the longing in your heart? Turn to Me for meaning and purpose. Let Me show you how to use the gifts I’ve created for you and within you. Trust that I am with you and that I will never allow you to fall. (Psalm 46:5) I promise that as you search for Me, you will find Me. In finding Me, you will find your true and beautiful self.

Practicing humility gives God the power to transform us from ego to love. I do not think that God ever intended that these transformations occur on our deathbeds. God wants us to realize our power and purpose in Him right now, among the living.

Only Jesus lived out God’s plan for His human life perfectly. And He confirms the power of humility to draw us closer to God:

Jesus said, “‘Blessed are the poor in spirit [or those who recognize their complete need for God’s saving grace and wisdom], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'” Matthew 5: 3

Our humility is precious in the gentle eyes of the Father. It frees us to live and love deeply, as God intends for each of us:

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories [find] glory in this — that he undertands and knows Me, and knows that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight,’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 9: 23-24

All of us possess unique gifts, designed perfectly for us by God. These gifts are perfectly suited to us and meant to be shared:

“Each one of us should use whatever gift we have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4: 10-11

Drawing closer to God is the only way to fully recognize our gifts and to use them wisely. One of the most powerful steps we can take to draw closer to God is to practice humility.

Sometimes we associate humility with quiet lives or meek behaviors, or even with low or self-deprecating views of ourselves. But as the great saints show us over and again, humility means thinking about others and God more, and having the courage to use our gifts in ways that create meaningful goodness for others.

Think about some of our amazing modern saints — Pope Saint John Paul II, Saint Teresa of Calcutta (also known as Mother Teresa), Saint Maximilian Kolbe and Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity. These were men and women who knew and loved God deeply; and through their relationship with Him, they became keenly aware of their gifts. Their profound humility freed them to surrender their own plans so they could use the gifts God had given to them, to the greatest extent possible.

We know that there is tremendous goodness and fullness in the plans that God has for all of us. (Jeremiah 29: 11-12; Luke 12: 7) We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8: 28-29) We know that on our own, our vantage points as humans are limited. We cannot see how all the magnificent puzzle pieces of our lives fit together. (Jeremiah 10: 23) This is ok, because the Lord of Hosts is with us and will help us. As He whispers to us in our hearts, the chaos and fear within us melts away. (Psalm 46: 5-6) And the path forward is revealed. (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

God loves us so much.

He is calling for us in the new year.

Dearest Jesus, please fill us with more and more humility, so that we can focus our thoughts more and more on God. Help us to pause and turn away from the distractions of daily life so that we can focus on what You are trying to show us. Help us to recognize You as our great source of joy and goodness … for we are placing all our hope in the truth of Your promise — If we look for You, we will find You. Dear God, help us to accept and experience the full joy of being loved by You. Amen.

Practicing humility naturally draws us closer to God. This frees us to live and love deeply with Him and for Him.

The goodness of God is a wonderful thing to ponder.

He loves you so much.

“‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,‘ declares the Lord.'” Jeremiah 29: 12-14

This past Sunday at Mass, we read one of my favorite set of verses from the Old Testament — from the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 6, verses 1-8.

Isaiah — an 8th-century BC prophet and significant contributor to both Jewish and Christian traditions — is considered to be the greatest prophet of all time. Believing in one God, Isaiah lived during a dangerous period in Israel’s history, when the nation was threatened by various ferocious and paganistic rulers.

Isaiah’s Old Testament Book is lengthy. Many scholars agree that the first 39 chapters were written by the prophet himself. In these chapters, Isaiah often writes in the first person, making his shared visions of God and predictions of the coming Messiah even more profound and beautiful. Over and over, Isaiah predicts the exile of Israel, because of the nation’s continued rebellion against God.

The second part of the Book of Isaiah (Chapters 40-55), which was likely authored by a follower of Isaiah, is filled with verses of comfort and hope. At this point in history, Babylon is now the power, with Judah handed over into the hands of the Babylonian rulers. The Book of Isaiah concludes (Chapters 56-66) with a collection of prophecies on various topics.

Here are the beautiful verses from Isaiah that we read last Sunday:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and His train filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth if full of His glory.”

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.”

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” (Isaiah 6: 1-8)

These verses offer so much hope. Throughout the chaos and uncertainty of every life, the saving grace of God is ever present. When we turn back to God and surrender our lives to His plans, we find indescribable mercy and joy.

We also find love and purpose.

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins and our doubts. Forgive what we do and what we fail to do. Strengthen and help us today, Jesus, to see the majesty of God. Help us to slow down so that we may contemplate and understand His deep Love for us, and trust in the beautiful plans God has for our lives right now and here on earth. When God calls to us, please help us to joyfully and confidently respond as Isaiah does — Here I am! Send me!

I have kicked off the new year with a bible study focused on St. Paul and his remarkable transformation from Christian persecutor into Christian evangelist.

St. Paul’s life and his beautiful New Testament writings remind us that God’s deepest desire is to redeem and transform us into loving men and women (Ephesians 4: 22-24). To be transformed, we must be willing to surrender our own plans to God’s plans.

With God, surrendering is about drawing closer to Him — and trusting Him with the questions on our hearts. The closer we draw to God, the more we begin to see He has the answers we seek. And more often than not, we begin to realize that He has the answers we do not even understand we need.

The more we surrender to God, the more we begin to understand and see that His Will for all of us truly is Love.

Saints like Paul understand the joy of a life surrendered to God. Here is a beautiful poem — by the Medieval poet, Hafiz — that memorably describes that joy:

Tripping Over Joy

What is the difference
between your experience of Existence
and that of a saint?

The saint knows
That the spiritual path
Is a sublime chess game with God

And that the Beloved
Has just made a Fantastic Move

That the saint is now continually
Tripping over Joy
And bursting out in Laughter
And saying, “I Surrender!”

Whereas, my dear,
I am afraid you still think

You have a thousand serious moves.
— Hafiz

I imagine Hafiz was smiling as he wrote this poem.

God loves us so much.

Dear Holy Spirit, help us to be more like the saints, surrendering our plans to God in this new year. Help us to let go with a smile and let God select those intended moves that can be combined with His ideas to create the most goodness and joy. Amen.

“And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them, and they were filled with fear.

“And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host of angels praising God and saying:

“‘Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men
with whom He is pleased!’

“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’

“And the shepherds departed right away and went with haste to Bethlehem, and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known to others what was told to them concerning the child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

“But Mary kept all these things to herself, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2: 8-20)

Jesus, the very Word of God, is here among us!

The Word, who in the beginning was with God and IS God, became flesh and lived among us. (John 1: 1, 14) By His Word, the heavens were made; and all their hosts of angels, by the breath of His mouth (Psalm 33: 6); all of His work done in perfect love and faithfulness. (Psalm 33: 4)

His plans are designed to transform our hearts so that we too may enter into the Father’s Kingdom, here on earth and in heaven.

Christmas Day is a day to rejoice! The living Song that the angels sing, over and over (Isaiah 6: 3), has chosen to dwell among us on earth, not because of anything we have done to deserve such a great honor and favor, but because of God’s endless mercy and love for us. (Titus 3: 4-5)

By observing the grace and truth of Jesus’ life on earth, we are able to see more clearly the beauty of God’s law, passed down to us generation after generation, through the beloved Moses. (John 1: 16-17)

May your hearts be filled with much joy and gladness and hope, for the Word of God is very much alive and active still among us today! (Hebrews 4: 12)

Thank you, dear Father, for loving us so deeply. Thank you, dear Jesus, for your boundless mercy and grace. Come Holy Spirit, fill the crevices of our hearts and minds so that we may recognize and understand the things that Jesus is trying to show us.

Merry Christmas!

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed, who was with child.

“And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2: 1-7)

And at that moment, profound Love entered the world. A centuries-old promise was fulfilled through the willingness of Mary and Joseph to trust in the loving plan God had for their lives, and for all of humanity.

“In Love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it – one from the house of David – one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.” (Isaiah 16:5)

God loves us.
He loves us deeply and without end.
Love always wins.

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of His roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

“He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins.

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The suckling child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

“They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

“In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; Him shall the nations seek, and His dwellings shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend His hand yet a second time to recover the remnant which is left of His people.” (Isaiah 11: 1-11)

God loves you so much.

Be strong and courageous, fueled by your confidence in God’s love. Do not live in fear, dreading what tomorrow might bring. Recognize and take comfort in God’s nearness. Realize, in your hearts and minds, that God the Father will never, ever leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31: 6)

The prophets of old continue to reveal that God always — always — keeps His promises made to mankind.

God loves you deeply and without end.

Love always wins.

Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, a prophet named Micah¹ prophesies the birth of a promised ruler and savior in Bethelehem:

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.

“There he shall give them up until the time
when she who has labor pains has
brought forth;
then the rest of his brethren shall return
to the sons of Israel.

“And he shall stand and feed his flock in
the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he
shall be great to the ends of the earth.” (Micah 5: 2-4)

Through Micah’s words, we understand that even though humanity has fallen from a state of innocent devotion and obedience to God, all is not lost!

In the Book of Genesis, we observe God drive Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, placing the cherubim at the east end of the Garden to guard the Tree of Life. (Genesis 3: 22-24) But we also know from the remaining Old Testament stories that God remains with fallen humanity in the world, still guiding and loving us — and inspiring prophets like Micah to share His plan for offering us, through Jesus, another chance at eternal life with Him.

All is not lost. God loves us so much.

O my God and my Father, You remain my source of all wisdom and hope and counsel and love. Thank you, dearest Father, for this profound act of love. Amen.

¹Micah prophesied sometime during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (750-686 BC).  His prophecies may have been compiled in this book (Book of Micah) after his death. (Source: Catholic News Agency)