Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 Year A

Memorial of Saint Clare

Ezekiel 2:8-3:4

Psalm 119: 14.24.72.103.111.131 (R. 103a) 

Matthew 18: 1-5. 10. 12-14

Humility as Child likeness

While the thirsty search or dig well for water to quench their quench their thirst, the greedy dig their own graves to end their souls. Seeking power makes us greedy; we can even kill for power, and the main aim is to Lord it over others, proving to them we are more human than them.

When ever I think about the incarnation, the question that mostly arise is, How could a transcendent all powerful being lower himself by taking flesh. 

Reflecting on God's actions, we see the true purpose of power, Good. If power is for good, then we are called to use whatever talent good has given us for good. 

This invitation is closely link with a behavior of child likeness rather than childishness.  The childish is immature but the child like because of his humility is mature in his decisions.

For children, their power is innocence or ignorance, but the childish with greediness makes ignorance a cure while the childlike makes it a blessing. 

For adults, their power is knowledge, but the greedy misuse it to hurt others, while the humble uses it to help others.  Thus, the good that flows from humility is Generosity.  In fact Humility and Generosity goes hand-in-hand. Where there is humility there is Generosity, and vice versa. 

So God in his humility shows us his greatest generosity.  Today as we are told of the Shepherd who is so generous and willing to live the ninety-nine on the hills and go to save the one lost, we are to look at our own conditions; are we lost. The could be three reasons why this sheep was lost, it could be decisived, sick or dumb. 

Who has deceived us, and we can find our way to God?

What is the sickness in our life that is an obstacle for us to reach God? Why are we dumb and fail to head the Master's call. Deception is from the evil one, our desires yield to sin, which is our sickness that leads us to  be stacked on the way, and finally our dumbness or foolishness is through the things that distract our focus. The Evil one, our desires and material things lead us to lose our way to the hills. They heighten our greediness and makes us evil.

We must learn to be child like, so that with humility, we can overcome these and become generous like God who has called us as his Children.

By Sylvester Amakye-Quayson