26 June, Saturday — Humble Yourself

Saturday of Week 12 in Ordinary Time

Gen 18:1-15
Mt:8:5-17

“I will come myself and cure him” 

Jesus has so much compassion for all those who come to him asking for help. He will go to great lengths to perform miracles, just so that he could take “our sicknesses away and carry our diseases for us”. Yet, even though Jesus is divine, he has never once used his powers to his own advantage – not even when he was hanging on the cross. He could easily have performed all the miracles on demand, wherever he was, without having to travel. But like in today’s gospel, Jesus chose to go to the centurion’s servant to cure him instead.   

But let us also focus on the centurion’s reply to Jesus, and his faith. Just like in yesterday’s gospel, the leper’s humble request resonates with the centurion’s reply of, “I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured.” This line is also very significant for us Catholics as we recite this each time before we receive Holy Communion. It is indeed a humble reminder that we are not worthy, yet The Lord is offering himself to us at every mass. It’s quite easy to forget how to humble ourselves before our Lord when many of us have grown so self-entitled, where we feel we deserve this and that. Sure, Jesus has already died for us and we are saved. But it’s not a given that we’ll automatically go to heaven just because of our baptism and faith. Have we done enough to prove our faith? How have we been living life fully as a Christian?

There is something so remarkably beautiful about humility. With Jesus being the prince of humility, Mother Mary and saints like St Teresa of Calcutta, we have so much to learn from. The litany of humility is a really good prayer to start. The first time I recited it, I broke down and cried because it made me realise how hard it is to pray for a desire not to seek praises, esteem, appreciation, approval and even love! Don’t we often seek attention, acknowledgement and adoration? Aren’t we taught to self-validate ourselves?

Brothers and sisters, I leave you with this prayer; if we pray this regularly, see how we will be changed:  

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honoured, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. 
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should.

Amen

(Today’s OXYGEN by Cynthia Chew)

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we are not worthy. Yet you love us so much, it’s beyond comprehension. We want to love you back. So help us to desire a humble and serving heart so that we can avail ourselves more freely in building your kingdom.      

Thanksgiving: Thank you for sending your only son to be born of a virgin, to suffer and be crucified for our sins. We thank you for always trying to draw us closer to you.