The miracle of humility

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time
June 25, 2010
Today's Readings:
2 Kings 25:1-12
Ps 137:1-6
Matt 8:1-4
http://www.usccb.org/nab/062510.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_06_25.mp3
The miracle of humility
What is it that you wish the Lord would do for you? We all have our wish-lists. We incorporate them into our prayer times, we post them at prayer request websites, we detail them to friends who give us prayer support. This is good, but notice what the leper said in today's Gospel reading: "Lord, if YOU wish….."
The leper "did him homage." His respect for Jesus was stronger than his desire to be healed, even though he had a very strong desire and an important need to be healed. Lepers were physically miserable as their rotting flesh gradually destroyed their bodies. They were also emotionally miserable, because they had been outcast from family and friends.
Of course Jesus wanted to heal this man.
However, the leper did not assume that Jesus, in his awesome goodness, would grant him his heart's desire. If the Lord wanted him to receive a different answer to his prayer, that would be okay. Why? Because he recognized that Jesus was a holy man who cared. Any response from Jesus would be a good one.
Are we willing to be so humble and so trusting in God's compassion?
In our arrogance, we believe that WE know how God should answer our prayers. We think we're smart enough to know that right now is the best time for God to give us everything we desire. But do we really want him to be as blind and stupid as we are? Do we really want him to be limited by our requests?
Or do we prefer that he take charge of the entire situation, with free reign to be sovereign over all elements and every ramification of our prayers?
God does give us miracles. God can make it happen fast. But how wonderful it is to know that he doesn't work according to our demands! We should be very glad that he's not a magic genie whom we can control and cajole and coerce.
When we approach the Lord in prayer, when we approach him in the Eucharist, when we approach him in the people we meet and deal with every day, if our attitude is one of homage, there is always a miracle that takes place. It's first of all the miracle of supernatural intimacy with the God of life, the God of the universe, the God of eternity, the God of all power and knowledge and goodness and love.
That should be enough to sustain a glorious attitude of trust! Such is the beginning of every other miracle.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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