St. Norbert's Church - Sunday Reflections

The readings today challenge us to examine how we think about ourselves. Do we think that we have the answers to life? Are we able to lead others? Do we value the opinions others and delight in being held in great esteem? Do we think that we have the answers to life?

The readings are telling us so clearly: only the humble person can begin to understand the work of God in our world and in ourselves. Only when we are still and silent before the mystery of God are we able to begin to see God at work in our world.

The Book of Sirach, from which comes the first reading, tells us that What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not. Today so many of us claim to have the answers to the great challenges of life. This Sirach wants us to know that we are deluding ourselves. What we need to do is be still before the Holy Scriptures and allow ourselves to be formed by the Holy Scriptures. Even then, we must be humble and accept what the Scriptures say. Far too often we want to explain away what the Scriptures are telling us and put in their place the insights of the modern world.

The second reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, tells us that we will only know the truth if we are willing to listen to Jesus Christ. It is His blood that will enlighten us. So many today don't believe at all in Jesus and would like His teaching eliminated. Yet if we want to know the truth, it can only be found in Him. In order to know Him and hear Him, we must humble ourselves and listen.

The Gospel today, from Saint Luke, speaks also to this capacity that we have to take the lowest place. When we take the lowest place, we might begin to hear the truth and to live the truth. Instead, we are often blinded by our own way of thinking, by our insisting that we know more than others and by our insistence to choose truth rather than to be formed by the truth of Jesus Christ.

At the heart of the Scriptures we find a clear message: accept Jesus Christ and walk in His ways. Listen to Him and you will be changed. Live as He did and you will find a truth that you did not have before. Even stronger than that: listen to His Church and be formed by His Church because He Himself has left us the Church as His presence in our world.

My sisters and brothers, the question is simple: are we looking for the truth in Jesus Christ or are we trying to use Jesus Christ to justify what we want to do?

Let us reflect today on the word of God and ask the Lord to open our hearts so that it is truly Jesus that we seek, truly Jesus that we follow and truly Jesus whom we desire in all.