Dcn. Phúc's Blog: Overcome Pride with Humility through Obedience

Every June, our society reminds us of the deadly sin of pride and how we in so many ways are still in open rebellion against God, his love for us, and the laws that He has written on our hearts. Saint Augustine prophetically said, "It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels." It is good that the Church, in her wisdom, proclaimed June as the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, because we can only overcome pride when we transform and conform our hearts to be like the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a heart that is "meek and humble" (Matthew 11:29).

This morning (7/1/2023), I had the blessed opportunity to do Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, lead Adoration and Holy Hour, Benediction, and Reposition. During the Holy Hour, in addition to praying Morning Prayer, I lead those in attendance in praying the Litany of Our Lady of Loreto and shared this homily from Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop. This part of his homily struck me because it reminds me to strive always to be "meek and humble" and to fix my eyes on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

". . .the Lord’s: The kingdom of God is within you. This teaches us that the man who cleanses his heart of every created thing and every evil desire will see the image of the divine nature in the beauty of his own soul. I believe the lesson summed up by the Word in that short sentence was this: You men have within you a desire to behold the supreme good. Now when you are told that the majesty of God is exalted above the heavens, that his glory is inexpressible, his beauty indescribable, and his nature transcendent, do not despair because you cannot behold the object of your desire. If by a diligent life of virtue you wash away the film of dirt that covers your heart, then the divine beauty will shine forth in you. . .

Even though you are unable to contemplate and see the inaccessible light, you will find what you seek within yourself, provided you return to the beauty and grace of that image which was originally placed in you. For God is purity; he is free from sin and a stranger to all evil. If this can be said of you, then God will surely be within you. If your mind is untainted by any evil, free from sin, and purified from all stain, then indeed are you blessed, because your sight is keen and clear. Once purified, you see things that others cannot see. When the mists of sin no longer cloud the eye of your soul, you see that blessed vision clearly in the peace and purity of your own heart. That vision is nothing else than the holiness, the purity, the simplicity and all the other glorious reflections of God’s nature, through which God himself is seen."

After Holy Hour, we had Mass for the feast of Saint Josemaría Escrivá for a group of Opus Dei members. His actual feast day is June 26th. The Gospel reading was Luke 5:1-11, the call of Simon Peter. In his homily, Fr. Charlie talked about obedience and shared this quote from Josemaría Escrivá's "The Way" in which the great saint discusses obedience. He wrote, "If obedience does not give you peace, it is because you are proud." Wow! That should convict our hearts and move us to change our ways.

The virtue of obedience can help us to be "meek and humble" of heart. Humility help us overcome the deadly sin of pride. In the same way that Simon Peter was obedience to Jesus and caught an abundant amount of fish, when we are obedient to God's will in our lives, we open ourselves to the outpouring of grace upon grace in our lives from God who loves us.

[Update] On May 31, 2024, the Church celebrates the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Gospel reading is Mary's visit with Elizabeth and her Magnificat. The Blessed Mother's words should remind us of this verse: "I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know" (Psalms 139:14). For indeed, God created us exactly how He wants us to be. It is prideful for us to change how He created us to be just because the world tells us we should be something else or we think we should be something else, for that too shall pass. Rather, we are called to be like Mother Mary, humble and obedient, glorifying God in our lowliness, rejoicing and giving thanks to God for creating us in the beauty of His image and likeness.

[Update] Moreover, in today's Office of Readings, the Second Reading is about Saint Justin and his companion martyrs. Saint Justin stood bravely before Rusticus the prefect, and boldly profess faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, saying: "We cannot be accused or condemned for obeying the commands of our Savior, Jesus Christ. . . I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians, though these are not approved by those who are held fast by error. . . Yes, I am a Christian. . . It is not an idea that I have; it is something I know well and hold to be most certain. . . We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgment-seat of our Lord and Savior." To hold on to traditional Christian values is now considered counter-cultural, then so be it.

Finally, before we receive Communion, we respond to the priest with these words of the centurion - "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed" (Matthew 8:5-17). Our Lord Jesus Christ - Real Presence in the Eucharist - is a reminder to us of humility because God comes to us in the form of bread for our salvation. The more often we receive the Eucharist worthily, the more we can overcome pride with humility. As Saint Cyril of Alexandria said, "If the poison of pride is swelling up in you, turn to the Eucharist; and that bread, which is our God humbling and disguising himself, will teach you humility."

[Originally published on 7/1/2023; Updated on 6/4/2024]

My response to a reader who posted: "This is why people leave the church"

I pray for those who leave the Church. Following Christ and remaining faithful to the teachings of the Church can be challenging. As the Lord God tells us, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways. . . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). We cannot do it on our own but we can do it with the grace and help of the Holy Spirit.

When I hear about people leaving the Church, I am reminded of these words of Saint Peter to Jesus: "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). More than that, as we are reminded this weekend on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, they are also leaving the Eucharist - "the source and summit" of the Christian life (as Fr. Michael said in his homily this evening). I pray for those who leave the Church.

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