Dear Brothers and Sisters,
There is a story about a man who had a very bad headache and there was nothing he could do to relieve the pain. Finally, he went to see the doctor who said is it ok to ask you some personal questions. The man said, sure no problem. The doctor asked if he smoked; the sick man said that he never did. Then he asked if he drank, and he said that he never touches alcohol. And then he asked about other things and the man said that he went to bed by 9 PM every night.
The doctor asked if the pain was around the outside of his head. And the man responded that the pain was exactly there. The doctor thought for a moment and then said he realized the source of the problem. He told the man that his halo was too tight and that was the source of his headache. God gives his help to the humble, not to the proud or self-sufficient.
The story makes a good point. God knows that we are not perfect and that we sin often, and he doesn’t expect us to the sinless. What does he ask of us? He only asks that we recognize the sin, that we see it and experience the mercy of God when we ask for it. When we have this disposition prayer becomes a joy, a place to rest, and a time to experience the love of God.
Sometimes God has to allow a big suffering to humble us so that we listen and ask for his mercy. A young mom was saying recently that she was overjoyed when she was attacked as a teenager many years ago. This tragic event changed the course of her life. She had been fighting God and her parents and was on a road of self-destruction. This event saved her life. She finally saw her reality; she saw the truth. Take advantage of the small humiliations that come your way to grow in humility. God gives his help to the humble, like the tax collector in the gospel.
The Pharisee is speaking to himself and looking down on the others. A famous person said that the only time we look down on others is when we are bent over helping them. When we see someone make a big mistake it might occur to us to think that we could do the same thing, or worse.
Ask for this virtue, like the widow asked last week. She asked consistently and the unjust judge finally gave her justice. How much more will God who is your Father give good things to you. Ask with a humble heart and you will be surprised at the love he shows you.