humble and lowly - dec 16 2014

As the celebration of Christmas draws near our preparation grows intense.  Today in our first reading from the prophet Zephaniah, we are reminded of the four graces rejected by Jerusalem because of her rebelliousness, her pollution and tyranny. First Jerusalem is despised because she hears no voice, she does not listen to the word of the Lord.  Second she does not accept corrections, she does not embrace conversion.  Third, she does not trust in the Lord.  And fourth she does not draw near to God.  The opposite of these rejections are the four marks of the remnant, those who are considered humble and lowly.  Humble and lowly are not social statuses but the dispositions of the heart regardless whether one is rich or poor.  One who is humble and lowly possesses these four graces.  They listen to God’s voice, they seek direction from God and not from human wisdom or conventions and fashions.  This is an important disposition of the humble and the lowly – that we listen to the right voice, that we listen to the voice of truth among the many voices that seek our attention and adherence.

The second disposition of one who is humble and lowly is the capacity to accept corrections, the openness to be guided.  Indi sia mabudlay tudluan.  Open sia sa ano man nga mga corrections – indi sia defensive, indi sia pala-rason.

Another disposition, the third is trust in God.  One cannot be lowly and humble when we seek to control everything.  The feeling of helplessness is embraced because embracing helplessness is part of trust, that God is the better guide, that God is faithful.

And the last disposition, the fourth is one who draws near to God.  He or she is a prayerful person.  Communicating with God, prayer, constitutes an important part of his day.  Prayer is not a waste of time because it allows one to nurture the other three qualities ofa humble and lowly person, the first three grace – for in prayer we learn to listen to God’s voice, in prayer we allow our actions to be judge and therefore to be directed by God.  And in prayer we learn to put ourselves in the hands of God, to surrender ourselves to God.

Because of these qualities Zephaniah said, there will be joy in one’s life and the source of this joy is the presence of the Lord.

Christmas is nothing else but a celebration of God’s presence in our lives, in our activities, in our homes and relationships, in our businesses and recreation.  That is why the disposition of this season is joy and the source of that joy is none other than God’s presence.

Let us not therefore forget these four things in our preparation to celebrate listen to God, allow yourself and action to be directed by God, trust in God, claim his promises and be prayerful, always draw near to God.