We are who we are in the eyes of God alone - Humility is Truth - And that my friends is the Truth

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus in St Luke Gospel give us some prospective…..Two very different individuals are presented to us…One who is a “mess”…The other who is “perfect”…Interestingly enough - Jesus is very critical of the person who believes himself to be “perfect”…And the guy who is a “mess” is praised…What makes Jesus come to this conclusion?…..The guy who is a “mess” - Knows he is a “mess”….And humbly asks God to forgive him…..There is the key - He asks God for mercy!…..Knowing we are a sinner - And asking to be forgiven - BOOM!….To think any other way is simply delusional….People like to compare themselves to others who “do not have their act together” - The world does this to make themselves feel better - But really there is only one comparison that matters…Comparing ourself to God - And in that comparison we all fall way short….This is why no one can boast….And the person who understands this will always be humble….Why?…..Because they know who they truly are and because of that - They depend on God’s mercy and grace completely……That is reality….Because the only opinion that matters is God’s opinion….Our world today thirsts for self approval and affirmation….People look for “clicks” and “likes” on social media….All this is simply a distraction from the only “click” that matters - What does God think?….Live for an audience of one - The only audience that matters is God…..Know who you are…..Endure the applause and the criticisms equally……Because in the end…..We stand before the Lord as beggars, with nothing in our hands….Everything depends on the mercy of God…Know who you are!…..Have mercy on me Lord a sinner!

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of salvation”

We can not understand what it means to be humble until we feel it…Humility must be lived…You will never understand what it means to be humble by reading a book…..God understands human nature….This is why through his permissive will God allows us to endure trials and sometimes fall…..While we as human beings reject those moments of life, in actuality, these “hard times” are gifts...…They “keep us real”…They “ground us” in reality….Why? - Again, human nature being what it is - Forgets God constantly….We start to “think” that all the good that comes from us had nothing to do with grace…..We forget the giver of the gifts and focus on the gifts themselves…..God understands this…So he throws us a “curve ball” now and then….Why?….To keep us humble - To keep us grounded….Again, these moments are gifts but do we look at them that way?…..God is always preparing us for himself - The sanctification process does not end until we take our last breath….And only God knows what we need to become sanctified…..In my lifetime one of my “go to voices” was Fr Benedict Groeschel…For those who do not know who Fr Benedict was…He founded a religious order of Franciscans in the Bronx (New York City)…Fr Benedict was a tough talking priest from Jersey City…Who was both practical and saintly…..During his life, many looked to Fr Benedict and as a result his fame spread globally…..However, towards the end of his life he made some controversial statements about the priestly abuse crisis…Fr Benedict was a trained psychologist with a PhD from Columbia University and as a psychologist he analyzed the sexual abuse crisis of priests stating that some of the blame must be viewed from the prospective of the teenage male victims, who solicited sexual relationships….This statement was very politically incorrect and because of that the Catholic world, still wounded and reeling from the blowback from the damage caused by the crisis turned on Fr Benedict…At this point he was an old man…..Fr Benedict did not do anything wrong - He just spoke honestly through the lens of a trained psychologist…But that did not matter - His television show was removed from EWTN…And for a short period of time - Fr Benedict was made to feel like an outcast…Why would God do this to him you may ask after all the good he had done?…..While this was going on, I thought to myself - God is preparing Fr Benedict for his death…He is giving him a “gift” - And humbling him - Preparing him to stand before the Lord as one should…As a simple humble beggar…..God works in mysterious ways…..He is the “master builder”…..A friend of mine who is a very holy nun once told me….”Joe - Everything in life comes from the hand of God - It is for us to accept everything from God’s hands knowing he is forming us into the people we need to be”…..And sometimes we need a “little help” in that process……Do we view the world through this lens?…..Do we understand what it means to be humble?….Many Catholics believe that before Jesus returns there will be what is widely known in Catholic circles as the “Illumination of Conscience" and when this event takes place, all of humanity will see themselves as we truly are…As God sees us….Our eyes will be “wide open”…..And as a result many will repent and turn to the Lord……Do we live our life from the prospective of “an audience of one”?…….Humility is Truth and we will never know who we truly are until we see ourselves through the eyes of God alone and when we do - One word comes to mind - Mercy - And those who ask for mercy will be given it.

“The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint. The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens.”

Today at mass, St Luke in the Gospel tells us a story about how people perceive themself…One man thought he was “so great” and the other not so great…..What was St Luke trying to teach us? - That we all “fall short”…That we all require God’s mercy……That humility is Truth……..And in order to live with humility, we have to sometimes be humbled….Mother Teresa put it best…..”If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are”…….We are who we are in the eyes of God alone - Humility is Truth - And that my friends is the Truth……………JMJ

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