What are you? You are not a monkey, nor a beetle, nor even a horse. You are a human being and you have a specific gift that no other beings possess. You are created for the love of God and to remain in that love forever. Two men were going to the temple to pray. The first was a Pharisee and the second was a publican. These two human beings were to embark on the journey of a life time. They went to encounter God.
Now human beings are very much determined by how they define themselves. What is a human being. The word human comes from the Latin word, humus, which simply translates as dust or dirt. All human beings come from the dirt and will return to the dirt from which they came. But this dirt possesses a soul which cries out to know its Creator. This dirt can only reach its goal by accepting and living in the virtue of humility. Humiliations remind us that we come from the dust of the earth and should not take ourselves or others too seriously.
Consider the Pharisee’s prayer. He does not prostrate himself but he stands in the presence of God and says what he is not. “Thank you, God, that I am not like the rest of men who are thieves, adulterers, extortioners or like this publican.” He is a human being whose arrogance does not allow him to realize that he is a dirtball like every other human. After judging all other humans, our friend then commends himself saying: “I tithe on all that I own, I pray three times daily, I am perfect in all ways.” But he is simply dirt and unto dust he shall return. His prayer was worthless because it did not recognize that he is a human being.
On the other hand, the publican stood “at a distance” and would not even look up to heaven but repeatedly said: “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” He knew he was dust and that he would return to the dust of the earth one day. His humility is the power that brings about his salvation. Our Lord says that this man went home justified. Justified because he recognized his true nature and the importance of his soul which must enter into humility in order to please the Lord.
Finally, examine your conscience and ask whether you have justified yourself by banking on your attachment to the traditional faith. You take care of all the details but you lack the humility that exposes your humanity. You take your role as mom or dad too seriously and forget that you were once young and fickled just as your sons or daughters. We need to be very aware of how we
present ourselves before God. The greatest stance is the position of humility and we should come into the Lord’s presence and kneel before His Majesty.
Humans require a healthy sense of their own nothingness in order to pray sincerely and effectively. Seek to humbly sacrifice yourself for others in little things. The Little Flower would quietly and humbly pick of scraps of paper for the salvation of a soul. She would care for the unruly old sister who thought that the Little Flower just loved her so much despite all her demands. All humiliations require of sense of this dust that possesses an eternal soul.
Essentially the soul must look to the example of our blessed mother for her humiliations were extreme but she never sought to lord it over anyone. She concerned herself in caring for the guests at a wedding when the wine was running low. Her humility came to its highest point when she uttered her last words in the Scripture: “Do whatever He tells you.” God’s will be done.
Let us accept our human nature and realize that it is our soul’s tabernacle for the short time we are here on this earth. Prepare for heaven by praying the daily rosary and wearing our Lady’s scapular. May humility reign in each of us in imitation of our dear Mother Mary.
In the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Fr. Voigt
P.S. For those who care our trees have been milled and are ready for construction when the permit comes from the dear city of St. Augusta. We hope it will be next week so that we can pour the footings and begin raising up and Oratory to the Two Hearts.
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