At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
"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; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
Homily
Our Strength Is Found in Our Weakness
For Christians, strength is found in weakness. Our teacher is Jesus Christ, and he wants us to learn from Him to be meek and humble of heart. The world may brush the simple aside and call them ignorant, but Jesus’ prayer to his Father teaches us to value the greatness of the little ones among us, because God Himself chose them to be preachers of Divine Wisdom.
Jesus Is a Different Type of Messiah
It was the humiliation of Christ that brought about our salvation. The people of Israel had different expectations for the Messiah, but Jesus simplified the path by his way of doing things. He presents himself as a humble king, a meek king. He strips himself of any aura of greatness; he makes himself small and lives among those who are hidden from the eyes of the world. He chooses them to be the guardians of salvation. Remember, the most noble and powerful of all teachings were brought to the world by a handful of simple fishermen. They began the most transcendent social transformation in history.
We Are Called to Be Meek and Humble
The beatitudes announce “blessed are the poor, the humble, the imprisoned, the sick, the suffering, the weeping." Throughout the centuries many saints have changed history with their simple lives: Francis of Assisi, the “poverello” – little poor one; Therese of Lisieux, who proposed “the little way” in her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul”; Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “the angel of the lepers.” Real power, real joy are found in the mystery of simple souls. Only in this way can we call ourselves disciples of Christ who was “meek and humble of heart.”
Mary, the Perfect Example of Discipleship
Mary gives us the perfect example of discipleship. God chose the simplest of women, the most humble and the most pure, to carry out the most sublime mission. Mary took these guidelines of humility and simplicity that God had given her and made them the absolute measure of all her actions. And so she became the key to the story of salvation.
Humility Is Truth
We are transformed when we draw near to Christ with a humble spirit. As St. Teresa of Avila teaches, “humility is truth.” A proud Christian is a contradiction in terms. The “Magnificat” that Mary sang at the Annunciation proclaims the humility of God’s handmaid, and at the same time celebrates the great things that God has done in her. True freedom, true joy, and true beauty are found in the mystery of simple souls who daily practice the virtue of humility. In a few moments from now, you will witness your Lord and Savior humble himself once again on this altar to be Bread for us to eat and Wine for us to drink. Ponder this great humility as you receive Holy Communion, and then imitate Who you receive.