@EVANGELINE DIARIES
In a world that applauds power, wisdom and intelligence, we have a virtue that prefers to stay out of the spotlight but can work wonders if we only recognize its potential.

Gospel – Matthew 11:25-27
At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. - The Gospel of the Lord

Reflection – Humility Quotient
Children in all their innocence and humility have a number of valuable life lessons to teach us, if we only care to observe them carefully. They carry no baggage and have no bias or inhibitions or any kind of hidden agendas. They are like sponges with an amazing capacity to readily absorb everything. No wonder Jesus loved little children and welcomed them warmly. He said, “I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.” (Matthew 18:3-4).

Today Jesus invites us to strip off all our labels of worldly wisdom and intelligence and embrace humility. But sadly humility is not a very popular virtue as it is often viewed as a sign of weakness, as compared to pride which supposedly makes one feel strong, self-sufficient and in control.

However, if we pause to reflect and examine it closely, we will find that humility is accompanied by a list of wonderful qualities. Here are some of them:
• Clarity – It shows us how to disconnect from all the clutter of life and focus clearly only on what matters.
• Dignity – It empowers us to deal with every situation with grace, courage and confidence.
• Gratitude & Joy – It inspires us to joyfully count our blessings and name them one by one.
• Patience – It builds persistence and instills the faith that everything will work out for our good in His time in His way.
• Respect – It teaches us to value relationships above everything else and to build lifelong connections.
• Service – It directs us to look beyond ourselves and reach out to others with love and compassion.
• Simplicity – It eliminates unwanted drama and complexities and helps us to live simple yet meaningful lives.
• Surrender – It reminds us we are incomplete and weak on our own; only in surrendering to our Lord does His grace flow in and through us.
• Power – Yes, don’t be amazed, there is power in humility. When we depend on Him, His power manifests in our lives in every aspect.
To put it in a nutshell, ‘Humility is simply acknowledging that whatever we are, have or possess is only because of God’.

Children are born like angels – it is the environment they grow up in that determines what they turn into. Our lives have been corroded by worldly influences; today’s Gospel reminds us to empty ourselves and bring back the purity of childhood. When we approach him with childlike faith, He will welcome us into His Kingdom and exalt us. ‘To all who received him, who believed in his name, He gave power to become children of God.’ (John 1:12) “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)

So what are we waiting for? Let’s leave aside our IQ and focus on increasing our HQ – that is, our Humility Quotient.

Let us pray:
Dear Lord, we thank you for teaching us what it means to be humble. You promised “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”. Help us not to be influenced by the false notions of worldly power but exhibit your virtue of humility in all our thoughts, words and deeds. We invoke the Holy Spirit to bear this fruit in us so that we may glorify God. We ask this in the mighty, holy and precious name of Jesus – Amen!
God bless you!

(Scripture References: Ecclesiastes 3:9-15, Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 5:5, 19:14, Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 10:31, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Galatians 6:9, Ephesians 4:29,32, Philippians 4:6-7,13, 1 Timothy 6:6-7, 2 Timothy 1:7, James 1:17)

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Audio Credit: Ms. Anita Lewis