March 10, 2018

Gospel: Lk 18:9-14
Jesus told another parable to some people, fully convinced of their own righteousness, who looked down
on others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself, and said, ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and give a tenth of all my income to the temple.’ In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, when this man went back to his house, he had been reconciled with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised up.”

Reflections
HUMILITY
One of the rarest qualities of people is genuine humility. It seems to be a part of our psychological survival to be proud or vain. One can appear to be humble but in reality one is just submissive and subservient. There is also the so-called humility with a hook in which we engage in selfdeprecating
statements hoping for someone to contradict us. The ego is so pervasive and is so wily that it insinuates itself into our actions and thoughts in disguised ways. Actually, one cannot be humble unless one has a healthy self-esteem. Someone puts it this way: One cannot be humble if one does not have something to
be proud of. Actually a genuinely humble person has a healthy self-esteem that comes from an honest
self-knowledge and self-acceptance. Humble people have an inner security which is immune to flattery and blame. Unlike people who are innerly insecure, they do not need to put up a front, a false façade to hide their insecurity. They do not have to flaunt their achievements and accomplishments. They are also
not easily insulted or humiliated, because they know who they are and what people say does not make them grow or diminish even a single inch. HUMILITY IS TRUTH.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018