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Saturday, May 21, 2005

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Sirach 17:1-15
Psalm 103
Mark 10:13-16

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care for a slice of humble pie?

"I assure you that whoever does not accept the reign of God like a little child shall not take part in it." —Mark 10:15

Today's first reading from the Book of Sirach describes God and His awesome ability  to create. Not only does He form our tongues (Sir 17:5), but He imparts to us understanding, wisdom, and knowledge (Sir 17:5-6).

Have you ever just sat and contemplated where your ability to understand things and to express yourself comes from? Thoughts such as these always draw us to focus upon the immeasurable distance between God and His creatures. Just try to measure the distance between a clump of dirt and the human mind. Even though we could never count them, there actually are a limited number of droplets of water in all of the oceans on earth.  Yet God is far  beyond  those  images — so infinite, so immeasurable. We can only glimpse at His all-surpassing greatness.

For  instance, if we try to penetrate the mystery of the Blessed Trinity (see Mt  28:19), we can only come away like a child (see Mk 10:15). Unless we puff ourselves up and reject this glimpse of Divine Greatness as useless confusion, our mental pride must be humbled by this mystery. This revelation of God to man, in letting us know even faintly what goes beyond us, can be either a great stumbling block of faith as we jeer at mystery, or it can be a gentle nudge  toward  joy, then awe, and then the realization of our need to adore Him Who made us. We have to confess that we can only bend  our neck gratefully under the yoke of faith (see Mt 11:29) and find contentment in humbling ourselves, so that we might take part in heaven (see Mk 10:15).

Prayer:  Father, inspire me to find true joy and lasting contentment in humility as I adore Your greatness.

Promise:  "The kindness of the Lord is from eternity to eternity toward those who fear Him." —Ps 103:17

Praise:  Joel, a top executive at a large corporation, humbly gives God all the honor and the glory for the blessings in his life.

Reference:  (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 12, 2004

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