Self-exaltation and God-exaltation.
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Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel.”(Lk 2:34)
These are the predictive words of Simeon uttered when Child Jesus was presented in the Temple.
Jesus was born to save the whole human race from sin.
Then how can He cause the 'fall' of many?
Jesus was born to preach His Gospel to the people according to which they would be expected to live.
Once the Gospel is made known to the people they will fall into two categories, those who live according to the Gospel and those who don't.
The former 'rise' and the latter 'fall'.
Jesus sets before the people a principle according to which they should live.
"The man who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew.23:12)
Jesus wants us to be humble.
Spiritually speaking, one who humbles himself in this world will be exalted in the next world.
One who exalts himself in this world will be humbled in next world.
When we humble ourselves we exalt God, because we accept that whatever is good in us belongs to Him.
If we exalt God in this world, God will exalt us in the next world.
When we exalt ourselves in this world we think that we are great and renounce the real Greatness, God.
Thereby we declare ourselves unfit to have a share in the eternal bliss.
Let us think for a while:
Are we going to exalt ourselves and risk divine humiliation,
or
humble ourselves so that God can exalt us?
Jesus demands from us a choice between self-exaltation and God-exaltation
There are present in the Church founded by Jesus many invitations to the indispensable virtue of humility.
The very nature of the Church herself calls us to humble ourselves.
Our Holy Mother the Catholic Church is a Divine institution.
But, we, its members are sinners; we must accept this fact.
Jesus Himself declared that He came to this world in search of sinners.
" I have come to call sinners to repentance" ( Luke.5:32)
"That is what the Son of Man has come for, to search out and to save what was lost." ( Luke.19:10)
Two of the seven Sacraments, baptism and confession, are meant for forgiveness of sins.
Unless a patient accepts that he is a patient he cannot be treated.
"God, be merciful to me; I am a sinner." ( Luke. 18:13)- This is how Our Lord wants us to pray.
We have to be humble enough to accept this fact.
How can we be forgiven unless we accept our sins?
The official prayer of the Church, Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, begins with an act of contrition for our sins.
When compared with the enormous number of Christians, only a few have been chosen as our spiritual leaders.
Though leaders they have been chosen from amongst us.
We must be humble enough to accept them as our 'Spiritual Fathers' who represent Jesus Himself.
We need the virtue of humility to confess our sins to them.
One parent said:
"Till yesterday he was my son, from today he is my Father. I am happy that my son has become the representative of Jesus Himself."
He is humble enough to accept his son as his Father, who has the power to forgive his sins.
The proud focus only
on the weakness and failures of our leaders,
whereas
the humble see only Jesus in them.
When the Priest in the confessional says, "Your sins are forgiven, go in peace ", it is Jesus who speaks through the mouth of the priest.
We need humility to accept this.
If the number of confessions is decreasing, it does not mean sins are decreasing, it only means our humility is fading.
If we feel that the words and conduct of the leaders don't tally, we should remember Our Lord's words, "Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example."
The humble person is ready to ask for the prayers of others and to depend on their help.
If we are humble we will request our Saints to pray for us.
The more humble we are, the more powerful will be our prayers.
One question :
The practice of genuflecting before the Eucharist has given place to mere bowing of heads. What does it mean?
Lourdu Selvam.
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