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The Time After Pentecost
the proud” (1 Pt 5:5). “Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted” (Gospel).
True progress and growth in the life of grace depends on humility and on our willingness
to be among the least. Only the humble can understand “the breadth and length and height and
depth” of the mystery of our life in Christ. Only the humble comprehend “the charity of Christ,
which surpasseth all knowledge.” Only the humble have room to be filled with “all the fullness
of God” and with the divine life of grace. Only the power of Christ “is able to do all things more
abundantly than we desire or understand,” and Christ thus acts only in the humble. Only the
humble know their own unworthiness and helplessness, and come to the Lord’s supper, the
Holy Eucharist, in this spirit, where Christ touches these who are sick and heals them.
Who will heal us of our pride, which is symbolized by the man with dropsy as well as by the
Pharisees of the Gospel? The Lord and His grace will heal us at the table of the Holy Eucharist,
at Holy Communion. Although we have done great damage to ourselves through our pride, all
is not lost. It is not too late yet, if only we come to the Lord. He touches us in Holy Communion
with His pure flesh and blood. He inflames our infirm soul with His clean, healthy soul, our
heart with His heart, our charity with His charity; He joins our endeavors to His holy endeavors
and offers them to God. We are healed and become new men through the power of the Holy
Eucharist. We trust in Him, and we are nourished by our daily reception of the holy Sacrament.
Humility is the only remedy for our infirmity of soul and the only avenue to grace. Christ
Himself gives us an example of humility in the daily celebration of the Mass. The Lord becomes
present to us each day under the appearance of bread and wine, just as two thousand years
ago He became man, humbling Himself that He might become our priest, our sacrifice, and
our food. He takes the lowest place in this banquet, as once in the same spirit He took the last
place by suffering and dying for us. We also must learn to take the last place, to be humble, to
die with the Lord, by the complete submission of our will to the will and designs of the Father.
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to Thee all the day” (Introit). Give me the
light and the grace to walk the way of Christian humility, unhampered by pride and self-will.
Prayer
Let Thy grace, we beseech Thee, O Lord, ever go before us and follow us, and may it make us to
be continually zealous in doing good works. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Monday
Today the Church prays for the spiritual stability of her children. The sky is darkened. Persecutions
from without and conflicts, crises, difficulties from within, press upon the Church. The Apostle is
imprisoned in Rome. The Christians of Ephesus, he fears, may have fallen into error concerning
the doctrine that he taught them; persecution and his imprisonment may scandalize them and
cause them to abandon Christ. The Apostle in his chains can only pray for them that they find
grace to remain faithful despite persecutions and his apparent failure.
“Brethren, I pray you not to faint at my tribulations for you” (Epistle). The Apostle has just
reminded his converts at Ephesus that we have access to the Father in the faith of Christ, the
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