Second Week of Lent, Tuesday, March 9

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Matthew 23:1-12

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. As in yesterday's readings, the leitmotif today is about the need for humility. In fact, throughout this week we are reminded every day about the consequences of pride-especially of the Pharisees and scribes of Israel-and the humility of Jesus who gives himself up for us.

In Furrow (no. 263) by St. Josemaría Escrivá we read an examination of conscience on humility. I'd like to share it with you to help us identify areas of self-exaltation that we can fight against as a Lenten sacrifice.

• Thinking that what you do or say is better than what others do or say
• Always wanting to get your own way
• Arguing when you are not right or - when you are - insisting stubbornly or with bad manners
• Giving your opinion without being asked for it, when charity does not demand you to do so
• Despising the point of view of others
• Not being aware that all the gifts and qualities you have are on loan
• Not acknowledging that you are unworthy of all honor or esteem, even the ground you are treading on or the things you own
• Mentioning yourself as an example in conversation
• Speaking badly about yourself, so that they may form a good opinion of you, or contradict you
• Making excuses when rebuked
• Hiding some humiliating faults from your director, so that he may not lose the good opinion he has of you
• Hearing praise with satisfaction, or being glad that others have spoken well of you
• Being hurt that others are held in greater esteem than you
• Refusing to carry out menial tasks
• Seeking or wanting to be singled out
• Letting drop words of self-praise in conversation, or words that might show your honesty, your wit or skill, your professional prestige ...
• Being ashamed of not having certain possessions ...

Isaiah says in today's first reading: If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; but if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. To obey God-or anyone-requires submission of our will to another, which our pride won't easily allow us to do. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble St Peter tells us.

Obedience, humility-we will eat the good things of the land and enjoy them. Proud people are never satisfied and so are never really happy.

In today's Gospel, Jesus contrasts the pride of the Pharisees and scribes with that of his follower. All their works are performed to be seen, Jesus says of them. They want the praise and admiration of all, they never want anyone to see everything, but only what reflects well on them. No humility in that. They do not, therefore eat the good things of the land.

We can reflect on the areas where we need to grow in humility for the point we read in Furrow and this can be a wonderful mortification to carry out as penance during Lent. We can work on a point or another to overcome our pride. This will bring happiness, even if we have to deny ourselves.

Where else in the Bible, in the Old or New Testament, does God teach us how to pray? Moses, Jacob, Abraham talk with God, but he does not instruct them in prayer. Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah pray by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but that's not the same as God the Son explaining to us the beautiful, simple and all-encompassing phrases of the Our Father.

To forgive, we have to strive not to go back over the hurts-sticking our finger in the wound and never letting the soreness die down or the healing to begin. All of us to some degree are obsessive: while we dress in the morning, as we prepare for bed at night, driving alone in the car, even in prayer, we review the hurts and refuse to forgive. To let things go, we must turn to God and to prayer. We must cling to Our Father, repeating the prayer Jesus taught us, or to other beautiful prayers that we know and love. This is how we push away the repetitious and obsessive thoughts of anger and hardness of heart.

The road to forgiveness is long; we cannot always forgive in an instant (unless we really love the person, as God forgives us in an instant because he loves us.) But we will move in the right direction if our minds turn to prayer-piety-to overwhelm any compulsion we may have to rehash things and harden our refusal to forgive. Besides, we should be convinced that the hurts we've experienced are what make us who we are, they sanctify us, and are God's way of sculpting us. Even the injustices we suffer-and forgive-are part of making us into saints.

We pray the Our Father at Holy Mass every day, as well as in the Rosary and at other times. Let's pray it a lot-along with other prayers-so that we can abandon our anger and begin to forgive. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

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