Tuesday 2nd week of Lent
"Mt 23:1-12"
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice...They do all their deeds to be seen by men...He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
Humility is indispensable for following Christ. The best example of humility is Jesus Himself: being God, He became Man for us; and later, He became a Host of Bread. Who could ever humble himself so much? The second best example of humility is His Mother: being the most perfect creature, she recognised that all the good in her was a gift from God. The third example of humility is St Joseph: being a man gifted beyond comparison, he never let himself become the centre of attention. Saints are humble souls who know how to remain in the background and let people see God instead.
The problem with the scribes and Pharisees was that they loved to be seen, recognised and praised for all their deeds and talents. They wanted to be the centre of attention. A Spanish saying describes this kind of person well: 'They want to be the bride at all the weddings, the baby at all the baptisms and the dead at all the funerals.'
Holiness is just the opposite: you see? Holiness and humility are proportionate. In the words of St Josemaría, the passion of the saints is "to hide and disappear. That only Jesus could be seen." In the lifetime of the Holy Curé of Ars, St John Mary Vianney, people came from distant places to listen to his homilies. He did everything in his parish (Ars had about 350 inhabitants), which he very seldom left.. He could be found in the confessional most of the time (16 hours a day!) Elsewhere in France at the same time there was another famous preacher who attracted many people with his brilliant sermons. One day someone asked this preacher which of them was the better preacher. "Most certainly he is," answered the man, "for when people listen to my homilies they say: 'How good this preacher is!', but when they listen to Vianney they say: 'How good God is!'."
Mary, my Mother, help me to learn from you the virtue of humility, "to hide and disappear, so that only Jesus might shine" (St Josemaría).
