Last week at the Sunday 7 pm Mass, I preached in Spanish about the "HUMILITY OF GOD". Talking in my imperfect Spanish about our "little" miracle of the Eucharist at OLHOC was not easy (a humbling experience). Just one hour before the Mass, the Holy Spirit led me to share another "little" miracle in my life, a 4-page LETTER I received from a LIVING SAINT in 1978 ...a letter that changed my life.

In earlier occasions, I have spoken about my personal encounter with MOTHER TERESA in Calcutta when I was living next door in Dakha, Bangladesh. I have even shown the original 4-page letter she wrote me in my first homily to FIRST COMMUNICANTS 11 years ago, as she commented extensively on the centrality of the EUCHARIST and Blessed Sacrament: "It was so beautiful to be together at the altar of God. I wonder what our lives would be if we did not have JESUS IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT SO REAL, SO LIVING, SO WONDERFUL. HOW FAR HIS LOVE HAS TAKEN HIM TO MAKE HIMSELF BREAD OF LIFE, TO SATISFY OUR HUNGER FOR LOVE, FOR GOD, and then TO MAKE HIMSELF THE HUNGRY ONE so that you and I, and each one of us can satisfy HIS hunger for love, for human love through OUR FEEDING HIM IM THE HUNGRY POOR. --- WHAT HUMILITY OF GOD. --- how far His Love has taken Him. ----"

After these amazing words about the presence of God in the Eucharist and the Blessed Sacrament, Mother Teresa continues in her letter, "I am visiting our Sisters in Ethiopia and here in Tanzania and will soon go to Yemen, Jordan and Israel TO SEE THE MIRACLE OF GOD --- TO SEE THOSE YOUNG SISTERS not only they are DOING THE HUMBLE WORKS, but that they RADIATE JOY in while they do so ...Our homes are full with sick and dying destitute, with people unwanted, unloved, lonely, and forsaken..."

Jesus constantly encourages us to IMITATE HIM and to be HUMBLE. As Jesus is both man and God, we have no problems in seeing the HUMILITY OF JESUS as man. "Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I AM MEEK AND HUMBLE OF HEART." (Mathew 11:28-30). Jesus' heart is humble. Jesus constantly "exalts" the humble and "humbles” the proud. It is more challenging to see the HUMILITY OF JESUS as GOD, THE HUMILITY OF GOD that Mother Teresa highlighted, the mystery that GOD HUMBLES HIMSELF to come as a man on earth 2,000 years ago (uniting heaven and earth) and that GOD continues to come and humble Himself in every “little” consecrated host at every Mass every day: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
 

Throughout History Salvation, the Old Testament highlights God's preference for the "humble". In last week's reading from Ezekiel (17:24), the Lord God says, "And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, BRING LOW the HIGH tree, LIFT HIGH the LOWLY tree...As I, the Lord, have spoken, SO I WILL DO." The all-powerful God is totally in charge. When we truly understand that we are "nothing", that we are a drop of water in an immense ocean, that we are truly "nobody", we then become "totally dependent on God" and then there is no longer room for "pride" in our hearts. It is all about HUMILITY, and TRUST IN GOD. The first sin of mankind was a sin of pride: Adam and Eve desired to be like God. They had everything one could imagine. They were truly in Heaven, totally with God. But they wanted more...In today's world, Pride remains the mother of all vices while Humility remains the mother of all virtues!

It was humbling for me to preach into Spanish the beautiful "English" words of Mother Teresa. The translation is always inadequate especially when one is not a professional translator. It was also humbling to share a personal letter. Life is not about us. Life is about our personal relationship with God directly and indirectly through our own unconditional love of others, doing everything for the glory of God. It is humanly impossible to love unconditionally others as God loves us, but with the GRACE OF GOD, everything is possible. Jesus keeps saying to us: "Love one another as I have loved you." Our spiritual journey is to follow Jesus and His commands. Throughout his public ministry Jesus invites his disciples, us, to strive for holiness, for perfection: "BE PERFECT, JUST AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT” ( Matthew 5: 48). We know that we can reach perfection only when seeing God in Heaven. But we know that while on earth, God pours upon us ALL THE GRACE that we need to strive for perfection. This is HIS GRACE, the LOVE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT that can help us to strive for true HUMILITY.

Let us pray that our hearts will be open to the Love of the Holy Spirit and that we can all strive for true humility. As we celebrate Fathers' Day this coming Sunday, June 20, and will also conclude the 33 days of Consecration to St Joseph that we began on May 19, we will say the prayer of Consecration at the end of each Mass. May the humble and loving St Joseph be an example for fathers!

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!

One in Christ,

Fr. Alain