Tag Archives: humility

A Thousand Acquaintances

Posted on by Rob Peace
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In the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time, the first readings shift to meditations from the Book of Sirach on wisdom and on the mysterious Wisdom that is God, spoken in gentle but firm parlance of a parent passing on advice to a child, especially one going through transitions in growth or into adulthood. In the Gospel, Jesus reveals to his friends and the crowds about what it means to be fully human, which is to embrace the joy of emptying oneself of the pretenses of status caused by well-meaning but distracting ambition.

Do we need to be put in our place before we can trust God and our loved ones? Consider the role of humility and vulnerability needed to open ourselves to others as we truly are. How do the Scripture passages caution us about the sometimes insidious nature of the human condition and how we can betray those we profess to love or respect?

Here are the readings for Friday, February 28 from the Book of Sirach and from the Gospel of Mark.

(Painting above “Shapes of Fear” by Maynard Dixon)

Read pages 20 and 21 of the Xaverian Charism Project of the Xaverian Brothers.

(Above photo of Brother Alexius Vanderwee, CFX: First Provincial in the United States-Xaverian Brothers)

  1. The Scriptures reveal some difficult truths about the selfishness that may lie dormant in us. In reading these passages, especially from Sirach, how do you process when these tendencies arise in you, and how do you respond?
  2. Take some time to read about the counter-cultural nature of the “ordinary” in the Xaverian Charism Project. Why is such a simple term so hard to embrace, even for a prayerful person?
  3. Why did Ruusbroec and Ryken believe there was hope for people to recognize the “ordinary” in their journeys in life?

Tell Tale

Posted on by Rob Peace
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During the fifth week in Ordinary Time, first readings shift to the creation stories in Genesis, while the Gospel readings continue to follow the actions, prayerful pauses, and corrections performed by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. These readings reflect on God’s love in action, specifically creation, and how these creative powers establish connections with us, made in God’s image. Conversely, the Scripture confirms our all too human tendency to disconnect from God and our truest selves. Yet God continues to reach out and be right in our midst, gently calling us to turn around and embrace what is real and holy.

We have been reflecting on the Xaverian value of Trust over the course of the season of Ordinary Time. The beauty of the Xaverian values is that they never exist in isolation. Each one invites us to connect to another value, and to experience how all five in concert can lead us to experiences of the Spirit. Trust is possible through a deep openness to Humility, where we are made aware of our own poverty of spirit and need for repentance. The conclusion of today’s reading in Genesis contains a reminder of how important humility is in our relationships and decisions. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus uses earthy metaphors to get his point across about how trust and humility come together to animate yet another value, that of Compassion, or the heart moving in action for others. The featured Xaverian today is Brother Dominic O’Connell, CFX, former Provincial and the first Principal at Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore. As you read the rich and sometimes blunt biography of this man written by Br. James Kelly, consider how Jesus’ image of the heart was present in the life and times of Brother Dominic. Dominic experienced no shortage of humbling times or of being put in his place. Nevertheless, consider how his belief in the power of relationships gave life to the words in the Fundamental Principles, which Br. James weaves beautifully through the text of his account of Br. Dominic’s life and times.

Here are the readings for Wednesday, February 12 from the Book of Genesis and from the Gospel of Mark.

(Painting above of “The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” by Laura Sofer)

Read the reflection on the life of Brother Dominic O’Connell, CFX

(Above photo of Brother Dominic O’Connell, CFX-Xaverian Brothers, Mount Saint Joseph High School)

  1. What is the message of humility embedded in the conclusion of the creation story in Genesis? Where can this be challenging for us in day to day choices?
  2. In the Gospel, Jesus asks people to rethink their understanding of the sources of sin and evil. What was their mistake, even if it was well meaning? How can we be prone to make similar mistakes of judgment regarding the people we encounter?
  3. Br. Dominic was known as a man with a great heart. How did his compassion get him into trouble, and what did this reveal about his priorities as a leader?

Please consider writing your own responses to the readings or reflection questions below, or to reply to other peoples’ contributions. Also, if you know of a person, either religious or lay person, who has modeled the Xaverian way, and wish to share their story, please feel free to add to the comments section.