proud of being humble?
"You are haughty of heart, you say, 'A god am I! I occupy a godly throne in the heart of the sea!' — And yet you are a man, and not a god, however you may think yourself like a god." —Ezekiel 28:2
The prince of Tyre had no qualms about displaying His arrogance. He had the gall to proclaim: "A god am I!" The prince of Tyre thought he was wiser than Daniel (Ez 28:4) and personally responsible for the amassing of his riches (Ez 28:5).
Although in recent times a number of people follow the example of the prince of Tyre and flaunt their arrogance, most Christians know that we are to give God all the glory (Ps 115:1) and publicly acknowledge that without Jesus we can do absolutely nothing (Jn 15:5). Our lives are utterly dependent on God's grace and mercy in every second forever. Although we Christians are joining the heavenly voices and giving the Lord all "power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and praise" (Rv 5:12), we may be like Peter saying: "Here we have put everything aside to follow You. What can we expect from it?" (Mt 19:27) Peter's words betray a pride and certainly less than a total surrender to the Lord.
How can we die to ourselves (see Jn 12:24: Lk 9:24), live our Baptisms, and be truly humble and not subtly proud? We are helpless. Let us cry out for God's grace and mercy.
Prayer: Father, You are my only Hope and the only Hope I need.
Promise: "Everyone who has given up home, brothers or sisters, father or mother, wife or children or property for My sake will receive many times as much and inherit everlasting life." —Mt 19:29
Praise: Pope St. Pius X was the servant of the people of God. If you received your First Communion as a child, give praise to God today for the decision of Pope St. Pius X over a century ago to include you. "Jesus said, 'Let the children come to Me' " (Mt 19:14).
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 15, 2017
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.