All kinds of books, documents, archives and, of course, nowadays, articles on the web, tell us much about the religions of the world. We can gather detailed information from the earliest stages when human beings started to turn to Someone they believed to be great and powerful and whom they called God.
From all that I researched, read, studied, I never came across a text similar to the one we find in today’s Alleluia verse (22nd Sunday, year C – Mt.11:29): “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”
The words are amazing, the thought staggering, as for the reality, it is so astonishing… it is difficult to believe!
Were it not for the fact that it is Jesus himself who speaks these words, it could qualify as unreal! The Son of God, God himself, says he is humble!
And, he asks us to learn from him and become as he is. This is, in fact, the message of this Sunday. The example used by Jesus in the gospel (Lk.14:1,7-14) gives us a vivid picture of what this can mean in practice. And there are many other examples, plenty of situations where his teaching can be put in practice.
But… it goes against our natural inclination – that of looking for praise, prestige, power, personal recognition. Who wants to be humble? Who really strives to become so?… The true disciples of the Lord. And I know well I should be among them…
Source: Image: www.slideshare.net