The Conditions of Humility

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today raise questions and offer observations about the nature of God and truth which provide background for reflection on the execution of our daily relationships with others. The text from Proverbs and the psalmist reveal the preference of the Divine for the humble and generous person who conducts affairs mindful of neighbours and concerned about their point of view. The Gospel from Luke exhorts those who have come to know the path of life which is pleasing to the Divine to make it visible to the world. The apparent contradiction of showing or demonstrating a clearer vision while actually living humbly and peacefully with God and neighbour is resolved by the remarkable singularity that living humbly and simply is in our society.

Aware of the Presence

The psalmist in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today praises the steadfast love of God which he discovers, as many do, in the deliverance through times of trial. The knowledge that this power of the Divine is present and available to all is conveyed by Paul and Silas to their jailer after the earthquake which frees them from prison. John tells of Jesus advising His followers that they must experience the Advocate, the Spirit, when He has physically disappeared from their midst to know that He is still with them through the communication of the Advocate and their indwelling Spirit. The witness of the Divine presence is the fulfillment of the mission of Jesus.