how to receive divine revelation
"Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to You I offer praise; for what You have hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children." —Matthew 11:25
The way to receive divine revelation is to be lowly, the merest child, dependent on God alone. Moses is traditionally considered the author of the first five books of the Bible. Moses is one of the greatest recipients of divine revelation in history. He was lowly (see Nm 12:3). He was a victim of tyrannical oppression. He never knew his father and mother. He was a refugee and simple shepherd. He also could not express himself well because of a speech defect (Ex 4:10; 6:12, 30). Moses was lowly, a nobody, to whom God chose to reveal Himself.
We also can become a lowly child and receive God's revelation in an exceptional way. Even if we are blessed, and not deprived as Moses was, we can choose to be poor for God's kingdom (Mt 5:3), wash the feet of others (Jn 13:5), offer hospitality to the poor (Lk 14:13), and be persecuted and rejected for the gospel (Mt 5:10). We can choose to take up the daily cross (Lk 9:23). In this way, we will become a merest child open to God's greatest revelations.
Prayer: Father, may I tremble at Your word (Is 66:2).
Promise: "Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." —Ex 3:6
Praise: St. Henry yielded to his spiritual director and became emperor rather than a monk. He used his power to further reforms and integrated his holiness with his political power.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape, Arrogance, on audio AV 52-1 or video V-52.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 1, 2011
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