TUESDAY 2ND WEEK
Brian Baldini C ‘13

Humble Beginnings

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever
 humbles himself will be exalted” Matthew 23: 12

Without humility in our daily lives, we cannot be fully devoted to Christ. This was the downfall of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospels. Jesus made it clear to us all that preaching without practicing makes a man nothing more than a hypocrite.
There is no better time than Lent to examine ourselves and see if we are living humbly. To be Christ-like is to be humble, as he practiced his teachings through the very end when he humbly sacrificed himself for all of humanity. Humility is a habit that cannot be turned on and off. We must live humbly every day, not forgetting we are the servants of God. As we perform our Lenten duties like abstinence from meat, fasting, and giving alms, we should do so quietly and discreetly. Let us not seek praise or recognition. God is the only person who needs to know. When struggling to be humble, it helps to recall those few scriptural words heard when receiving ashes to mark the beginning of the Lenten journey: “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Lord, Grant me the grace to be humble as your son was.
 Fill me with humility so I may love others more than myself.
 Allow me to do your work without desire for praise and glory. Amen.

Is 1: 10, 16-20, Ps 50: 8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23, Mt 23: 1-12