YOU ARE THE ONE WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR

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Today’s Readings:

Joshua 3:7-11,13-17

Psalm 114:1-6

Matthew 18:21-19

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A friend of mine called my attention to a prayer called the "Litany of Humility". Some of the petitions in the litany are scary to her. The last part of the litany says: “That others may be loved and esteemed more than I, that, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, that others may be chosen and I set aside, … that others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should. Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.” And she wonders, "Should I be saying such a prayer?"

Praying that others should be esteemed over you is not wishing bad on yourself. It is being self-assured and confident that God knows exactly how to reward the good you do. Our personal worth does not come from the recognition of others but from God who rewards every good deed. It is lack of understanding that make us want to step on others in order to rise. Jesus spotted this tendency in Peter's question about how often he should forgive his brother and proceeds to tell a story.

The ungrateful servant in Jesus' parable was condemned by his master because he failed to see the plight of a fellow servant even after enjoying his master’s mercy. His master forgave him a debt he could not pay but he was unwilling to forgive someone else a meagre sum which he could easily have written off. At the heart of this ungrateful servant’s action is pride. He claimed to be someone he was not. He thought he could fool his master into believing that he was humble because he was poor. Poverty does not mean you are humble and being rich does not mean you are proud. Who are you underneath your wealth or poverty?

We are difference-makers in a world of attention-seekers. Humility enables us to do the right thing, regardless of the accolades we receive for it and to forgive others seventy times seven times because we have been forgiven even more. Like Saint Hyacinth, realise that you are the one that the world has been waiting for. Your life ought to speak to the people of this generation. Humility speaks, mercy speaks, and your good deeds speak louder than words. Draw strength from frequent reception of communion and devotion to our Blessed Mother and you will go farther in life than you ever imagined.

JUDE-MARY OWOH

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Prayer:

1. Praise ye the Lord, I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation, in Jesus name.

2. Praise ye the lord, Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighted greatly in His commandments.

3. May God bless me and grant me the grace to be meek and humble of heart through Christ our Lord.

4. O Lord my God, make me a partaker of Your Kingdom, in Jesus name.

5. Father Lord, keep our children, youths and young adults as the apple of Your eyes, in Jesus name.

6. O Lord, break and paralyse the operations of the power of selfishness, over-ambition and unteachable in the body of Christ, in Jesus name. Amen.