Khiêm tốn là nền tảng của tất cả mọi nhân đức vì sự khiêm tốn giúp chúng ta nhìn thấy và đánh giá được sự việc một cách chính xác, như cách nhìn của Thiên Chúa. Sự khiêm tốn giúp chúng ta có thể học để có được những kiến thức thực sự, về trí tuệ, và tầm nhìn về thực tại một cách trung thực. Sự khiêm tốn giúp chúng ta tự do để yêu thương và biết quên mình mà phục vụ người khác vì phúc lợi cho người khác, chứ không phải tư lợi cho chính mình. Thánh Phaolô cho chúng ta ta một ví dụ và mô hình của sự khiêm nhường trong con người của Chúa Giêsu Kitô là : “Chúa kitô đã trút bỏ vinh quang mặc lấy thân tôi đòi, trở nên giống phàm nhân sống như người trần thế. Người lại còn hạ mình, vâng lời cho đến nỗi bằng lòng chịu chết, và chết trên cây thập giá. ( Phi-líp 2:7-8).
Chúa luôn muốn chúng ta là những người tôi tớ như chíng Chúa Giêsu là chỉ biết phục vụ và yêu thương những người khác. Chúa đã ban tất cả những hồng ân của Chúa Thánh Thần cho tất cả chúng ta, những người biết khiêm tốn và tìm kiếm Ngài.
"Lạy Chúa Giêsu, Chúa đã mặc lấy thân phận tôi đòi và trở nên giống chúng con vì lợi ích phần rỗi của chúng con. Chúa đã ban cho chúng con được tự do và Xin Chúa cứu chúng con thoát hỏi sự thống trị của sự kêu ngạo, tự hào, ích kỷ và háu danh. Xin hãy dạy chúng con biết khiêm nhường như chính Chúa đã khiêm tốn và biết yêu thương người khác với tấm lòng quảng đại, từ tâm, vị tha và nhân từ hơn.
Humility is the queen or foundation of all the other virtues because it enables us to see and judge correctly, the way God sees. Humility helps us to be teachable so we can acquire true knowledge, wisdom, and an honest view of reality. It directs our energy, zeal, and ambition to give ourselves to something greater than ourselves. Humility frees us to love and serve others selflessly, for their sake, rather than our own. Paul the Apostle gives us the greatest example and model of humility in the person of Jesus Christ, who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and ...who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). Do you want to be a servant as Jesus served and loved others? The Lord gives grace to those who humbly seek him. "Lord Jesus, you became a servant for my sake to set me free from the tyranny of selfish pride and self-concern. Teach me to be humble as you are humble and to love others generously with selfless service and kindness."
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.” Matthew 23:1–3
Why do you do what you do? Even when our actions appear good, reverent, or charitable, they can be motivated by pride. The scribes and Pharisees struggled with this very sin. They often performed their acts of piety and charity not to glorify God but to win the praise of others. They were quick to judge others while failing to practice what they preached. This hypocrisy led many to view them with disdain. Therefore, Jesus’ public rebukes of the religious leaders must have consoled those who had been mistreated under their leadership. His words provided both corrections and hope for those seeking authentic faith.
Jesus condemns the religious leaders more than a dozen times throughout the Gospels, making them a significant aspect of His mission. Jesus came to bring both healing and truth, and confronting hypocrisy was necessary to restore justice within the community. But why did Jesus take such a firm stance against them? Wouldn’t it have been easier to seek peace and unity through kindness, avoiding conflict and division?
It’s important to understand that true kindness is a fruit of charity. But for kindness to be truly charitable, it must always seek the good of the other. Charity is not merely about making people feel good; it is rooted in divine truth. If Jesus had simply said, “We should be nice to the scribes and Pharisees, no matter what,” this would not have been true charity. Jesus’ rebukes sought to awaken the religious leaders from their spiritual blindness and protect the people from their harmful example. True charity often requires correction.
In our own lives, we must also examine our motivations. Are our acts of piety and charity truly for the glory of God, or are they done to be seen and praised by others? When we embrace the Gospel, we must accept that we might sometimes hear uncomfortable truths. Genuine love does not shy away from correction but seeks the ultimate good of the other, even when it challenges us to change. Therefore, we must see ourselves as the scribes and Pharisees, needing rebuke and correction.
Additionally, there are times when God uses us to correct others out of love. Parents do this for their children, guiding them with patience and tenderness so they may grow in virtue. In the same way, teachers are called to instruct their students, imparting knowledge and forming their character with care and wisdom. Spiritual directors, priests, and confessors gently guide souls on the path to holiness, helping them discern areas of growth and sin, always in the light of God’s mercy and truth.
Reflect today on Jesus’ charitable words to the scribes and Pharisees. First, hear Jesus’ words spoken to you. Humble yourself so you are open to such loving rebukes. Allow yourself to become more aware of your pride and self-righteousness so that you can change. Also, be open to how God might want to use you to confront others charitably. While Jesus alone is the Judge, He sometimes uses us as instruments of His judgment for those open to hearing His voice through us. Humbly consider this role, allowing God to use you as He wills. Always speak with gentleness and love, imparting the hard truth another needs to hear, never with cruelty or harshness.
My just Lord, Your just judgments flow from the unfathomable charity within Your Sacred Heart. You desire all men to be saved and to turn to You. Please humble me so that I never reject Your just judgments but receive them with joy so that I may repent and grow closer to You. I also place myself at Your service as an instrument of Your justice for others in accordance with Your will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I am your creature, and you are my Father. Teach me the ways of humility so that I may truly know who I am and what my place is in this passing world. Lead me by the hand along this path to heavenly exaltation and a share in your glory.
1. Sitting on the Chair of Moses: In the Gospel, Jesus draws attention to the teaching authority of the Scribes and Pharisees. On the one hand, they have assumed and taken upon themselves the task of transmitting and interpreting the Law of Moses for the people. On the other hand, they have fallen into hypocrisy: They preach and teach, but they do not practice what they preach and teach. “Although not Israel’s official teachers or leaders, the Pharisees were popular and held great sway with the masses. They were deeply concerned with the cultural and religious crisis of the day: How does one live as a faithful Jew in a land that is ruled and occupied by pagans (Romans)? The Pharisees’ answer: Israel must separate itself from all Gentile impurity and defilement, since only in this way will God rescue his people from the clutches of Rome. Even their name – which means the ‘separated ones’ (Heb. perushim) – underscores this national agenda” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1792). The time of the “chair of Moses” was provisional and soon came to an end. The time of the chair of Peter and the Apostles, and their successors, would start after Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection.
“The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11–12
Do you want to be truly great? Do you want your life to truly make a difference in the lives of others? Deep down this desire for greatness is placed within us by our Lord, and it will never go away. Even those who live eternally in hell will hold on to this innate desire which for them will be the cause of eternal pain, since that desire will never be fulfilled. And sometimes it’s useful to ponder that reality as a motivation to make sure that this is not the fate we encounter.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us one of the keys to greatness. “The greatest among you must be your servant.” Being a servant means that you put others before yourself. You elevate their needs rather than trying to get them to be attentive to your needs. And this is difficult to do.
It’s very easy in life to think of ourselves first. But the key is that we do put ourselves “first,” in a sense, when we practically put others before us. This is because the choice to put others first is not only good for them, it’s also exactly what is best for us. We were made for love. We were made to serve others. We were made for the purpose of giving of ourselves to others without counting the cost. But when we do this, we do not lose ourselves. On the contrary, it is in the act of giving of ourselves and seeing the other first that we actually discover who we are and become what we were created to be. We become love itself. And a person who loves is a person who is great…and a person who is great is a person whom God exalts.
Reflect, today, upon the great mystery and calling of humility. If you find it difficult to put others first and to act as their servant, do it anyway. Make the choice to humble yourself before everyone else. Elevate their concerns. Be attentive to their needs. Listen to what they say. Show them compassion and be ready and willing to do so to the fullest extent. If you do, that desire for greatness that lives deep within your heart will be fulfilled.
My humble Lord, thank You for the witness of Your humility. You chose to put all people first, even to the point of allowing Yourself to experience the suffering and death which was a consequence for our sins. Give me a heart that is humble, dear Lord, so that You can use me to share Your perfect love with others. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I am your creature, and you are my Father. Teach me the ways of humility so that I may truly know who I am and what my place is in this passing world. Lead me by the hand along this path to heavenly exaltation and a share in your glory.
1. Sitting on the Chair of Moses: In the Gospel, Jesus draws attention to the teaching authority of the scribes and Pharisees. On the one hand, they have assumed and taken upon themselves the task of transmitting and interpreting the Law of Moses for the people. On the other hand, they are hypocrites: They preach and teach, but they do not practice what they preach and teach. “Although not Israel’s official teachers or leaders, the Pharisees were popular and held great sway with the masses. They were deeply concerned with the cultural and religious crisis of the day: How does one live as a faithful Jew in a land that is ruled and occupied by pagans (Romans)? The Pharisees’ answer: Israel must separate itself from all Gentile impurity and defilement, since only in this way will God rescue his people from the clutches of Rome. Even their name – which means the ‘separated ones’ (Heb. perushim) – underscores this national agenda” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament, 1792). The time of the “chair of Moses” will soon come to an end, and the time of the chair of Peter and the apostles will start soon.
Tuesady 2nd Week of Lent
Opening Prayer: Lord, help me to open my heart in prayer so that I will be won over by your plan of greatness through service—of triumphing through humble, merciful love.
1. Don’t Be Called “Rabbi” and “Master”: Both the word “Rabbi” in Hebrew and the word “Master” as it is used here are words that we would translate as “Teacher.” In Jesus’s time, “Don’t call anyone ‘Teacher’ except the Christ,” was a way of saying that the most important, the greatest teacher in life, was to be the Christ (the Messiah). No other teacher was as important as Christ, and Christ most deserved to be called “Teacher.” Jewish people in Jesus’s time certainly called many people “Rabbi” and “Master”; the Christians continued to do so afterward, but they acknowledged that Christ is our primary Teacher and Master.
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