Holy Week Humility

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.

~Phillipians 2:6-8

In order to embrace the Paschal Mystery – the
suffering, dying, and rising of Jesus – we have to embrace the
humility of Jesus. His entrance into Jerusalem which we
celebrate on this Palm Sunday is nothing like that of a king. He
rides on a donkey without any entourage or fanfare. He lives
out his kingship on this earth in humble obedience to the will of
His Father and dies for the sake of sinners.

The humility of Jesus that marks his suffering and
dying challenges us to examine our own humility, especially
when it comes to submission to the will of God. As we begin
Holy Week, we might ask ourselves, “Has my Lenten
observance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving helped me to die
to self and begin to live for others?” “Has my contemplation of
the words of Scripture throughout these 40 days brought me to
a better understanding of what God has done for me by sending
His Son into the world and humbling Himself for my sake?”
“Has my desire to make plans without God been tempered by a
stronger desire to let God take the lead?” “Has my heart been
healed by the gift of mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation
recently?” “Has my posture toward others been changed so that
I listen in love so as to be humbled by the presence of Christ in
others?” “Has God challenged me to give up what prevents me
from keeping it simple?”

If we answered “no” to any of these questions, it’s not
too late. Let us ask the Lord Jesus who “humbled himself” for
our sake, to give us the gift of humility and walk with Him
through the events of Holy Week so that we may empty
ourselves of what prevents us from experiencing the
overwhelming gift of His sacrificial love.

I invite you to join in the beautiful liturgies of Holy
Week. Take the time to watch and pray as this great mystery of
our faith unfolds before our eyes. Trust me, you will be
humbled and strengthened by what you experience.

Yours in Christ,