| HOMILY: Humility Humility (adjectival form: humble) is the quality of being modest, reverential, even politely submissive,,,,being connected with notions of transcendent unity with the universe or the divine, and of egolessness. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humility) Jesus carried the virtue of humility almost to the point of humiliation. Consider the taunts of the crowds at his crucifixion; "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" To the outside world it appeared as if Jesus was in the throes of humiliation; that was the point of it all anyway. For the "son of Man" this was a degradation and mortification which could hardly be born. But, he was conscious to the end and one of his last statements before he commended his spirit to his father was, "My God, my God; for this I was kept!" This is according to George M. Lamsa, the expert in ancient Aramaic spoken at the time of Jesus. If this is so, Jesus did not think that God had forsaken him as it has been so translated from Greek to English. Of course, the above could be argued unto infinity by Christians of every denomination. But, I choose to believe that Jesus, as the special Son of God, was kept until the perfect moment to be incarnated. He knew and agreed to the role he was to play in the salvation of his brothers and sisters of the earth; for that he was kept. God is our refuge and our strength in times of trouble and Eesa M'sheeka is our saviour. We go to the Father through him; his path and his blessing. We must take up our cross and follow him on the path he laid out; Love God with your whole heart, mind, and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. If he had said not another word, this would be difficult enough for any one of us to accomplish in a lifetime. When we complain about our lot in life, get depressed because of our particular situation, bring others down with our sob stories; stop awhile and travel the path to Calvary with our Lord. Carry that heavy cross for a mile or so in your mind. Feel the nails thump into your wrists and feet. Watch for the three hours that he spent on the cross dying with every beat of his heart and suffocating as his lungs collapsed. As good Catholics, we used to perform the above devotion for three hours every Good Friday with the Stations of the Cross which are on every side wall of every Catholic Church. It's amazing what putting yourself in his place, even with only your mind, can do for your faith and love of him. I truly appreciate many of the qualities and devotions of the Catholic Church that I experienced from 15 to 33 years old. A few will always be a part of me. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your many blessings which I don't deserve, but continue to count on. I have many faults and turmoils that keep me from walking steadfastly with You: But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86: 15) Help me to straighten up and fly right into your loving arms of mercy and peace. Amen Respectfully submitted, J. Sue Gagliardi Week Eight: Parshah Vayishlach - Genesis 32:4-36:43 |
| "May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, Oh Lord, My Rock and Redeemer." Psalms 19:14 Dearest Lord of my being, Thank you for blessing me with all that I need to be the best that I can be. I am so grateful for your love, light, and peace. May I always be aware of your presence and may I love and honor you above all things. I need you in my heart, in my soul, and in my life now and forever. Amen |
| astrologizing.net Sabbath Devotionals The Sabbath; Sat. Nov 20, 2010 |
| BIBLE READING NEW TESTAMENT Luke 23: 42 "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." |
| BIBLE READING OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 23: 1 “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. |
