Daily Reflections - March 24,2013

THE HUMILITY OF CHRIST

 

This text from Philippians for our Second Reading today is one of my favorites. Why? In it we discover a very eloquent description of Christ’s humility, which Paul clearly considers as central to the work of salvation. Paul comes from a Pharisaic background and is well aware of the many accusations of hypocrisy that have been leveled against the group over the years, and even by Christ in His ministry. The issue at stake here is humility.

Christ clearly differentiates Himself from the Pharisees through His humility, an aspect of His character that is always to the fore. Paul is probably quoting from an early Christian hymn in this text, thus indicating how the Early Church sees the humility of Christ as central to His character and life. Even though Jesus is aware that He is God, He does not demand the attention and respect that is due Him. He makes the choice to use service as the defining thrust of His ministry. It is through the lens of service that we can fully acquaint ourselves with the heart of Christ’s message, the Good News of salvation.

The other main description of service is the image of “being emptied.” This can be interpreted in many ways, including that of giving all that He possibly could to achieve His desired goal. This is true of Jesus — He eventually died on the cross in order to bring forgiveness to our sins. Another way of looking at “being emptied” is to realize that if you are empty, you ultimately need to be refilled. Here, we see that aspect of humility, wherein Jesus entrusts His entire life and ministry into the hands of His Father. This level of total trust is something that Christians need to imitate to successfully follow Jesus in their lives.

As we listen to the Passion of Jesus today at Mass, let us keep in mind Christ’s example of humility through His suffering, and so seek to understand how we can better imitate His humility in our lives. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How can you grow in humility in order to more fully embrace the Good News of Christ?

 

Holy Spirit, help me understand fully the humility of Christ so that I may receive and live this grace in my life.