The scripture today comes from Obadiah in the Original Testament. "The pride of your heart has deceived you: you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose abode is in the heights, Who say in your heart, Who will bring me down to earth?" (v3). It got me to thinking about the pride we carry as people. There are two kinds of pride of course and I am not talking about the kind that you feel as a parent when your child does something wonderful. I am not talking about the pride you feel when a friend is recognized for doing God's will. I am talking about the kind of pride that causes people to put themselves above our Lord. The kind of pride that allows people to say, "prayer takes the place of thinking." The kind of pride that leads one to say, that prayer hinders medical and scientific advances, it is a distraction." Who will bring me down to earth indeed? Thou shall have no other gods before Me. The first commandment tells us in very plain language that we should depend on God for everything. If we are putting out faith into anything else, it is merely a dead end. Anyone who has walked this road knows what I am talking about. In the moment, it feels terrific but then reality begins to settle in and the search is on for the next great "god." We often call it addiction in modern day terms. We also call it obsessions but in reality it is distractions. Anything that gets in our way of a true and deep relationship with God is another god. Looking back at Obadiah's writing makes us think of the heights that we place ourselves at and think that is a permanent thing. Then we spend every waking moment trying to maintain that level of intensity. It is a false god. It is not sustainable and will leave you unfulfilled. Turn to God your Father and live in His light. There you will be fortified with the rock of Jesus Christ.
Born during the turbulent era of the French Revolution, Saint Jeanne Jugan rose above hardship and a lack of formal schooling to become a profound vessel of Christ’s mercy. After losing her father at a young age and working through her youth as a kitchen maid and nurse, her life radically changed one freezing night when she encountered a blind, paralyzed elderly woman with nowhere to go. Jeanne carried the woman back to her own home, placed her in her own bed, and began a lifelong mission of radical hospitality. This act of profound love blossomed into the Little Sisters of the Poor , a thriving community dedicated to sheltering and honoring the destitute elderly. Despite later facing heavy trials—including being unjustly sidelined and stripped of her leadership by a controlling chaplain—Jeanne accepted her obscurity and exile with a joyful spirit, resting her complete trust in God's hidden providence until her death in 1879. In our daily lives, Saint Jeanne Jugan invites us to lo...
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