We Will Boast in Our Lowly yet High Standing
The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low, he also exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the dung heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world.
1 Samuel 2:6–8
The great paradox of the Christian life is that we achieve greatness in lowliness. To the worldly man, this is an insane contradiction. After all, why would anyone want to be lowly? But to Catholic men, this should be sensible and sound, because in Christ we are able to see with heaven’s eyes. We understand that compared with God, all our efforts and our worth are filthy rags (cf. Is 64:6). The Good News, however, is that God takes our lowliness and raises it up. By his grace we are strengthened to live according to a higher calling. Our trials and our stumbling along the road of life allow God to refashion us in humility so we understand our true place in the universe. Though we are worth nothing, powerless and prideful, God lifts us from the dirt of this world and sets us up as princes among men.
We have become a new creation in Christ, and this shows us our purpose and our worth in God’s eyes. He sees us through the saving work of Jesus on the cross. We become beautiful, worthy sons, who are called to rule our worlds with the same perfect love he has revealed to us. We recognize that every moment we experience — even our lowest — has a divine purpose in testing and shaping our souls. When we accept our trials and our lowliness, we become servants with hearts totally dedicated to the cause of Christ.
Questions for Reflection
Is it difficult for you to accept that only in lowliness you can become exalted? If so, why?
Where have you been striving to achieve greatness on your own merits?
How has God lifted you up in your lowliness? How has his saving work in your life given you a greater sense of your calling as a Catholic man?
Praying with Scripture
“He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety” (Jb 5:11).
Tuesday
We Must Avoid the Birth of Sin
You meet him that joyfully works righteousness,
those that remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall
we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one that calls upon your name,
that bestirs himself to take hold of you.
Isaiah 64:5–7
Sin is a slippery slope that leads into a pit of destruction. It is a choice we make each and every time. It is not a work of God but part of our fallen nature. Once our desire surrenders to evil, we give birth to sin our lives, and if we allow it to linger, it will destroy us.
Proverbs 7 speaks of the seduction of a senseless and foolish man by an adulterous woman. The passage goes into great detail about the man’s steady journey into sin. He makes his way secretly to her house, hears her seductive words, is enticed by what his senses take in, and then gives in to the sin of adultery. He is compared to an animal stepping into a snare and being captured, never to recover. This describes how sin works in our lives. It presents itself as a pleasurable experience, slowly drawing us into the trap it sets for us. We think it is something good, yet if we give ourselves over to it, ultimately it destroys our lives until our bodies, our minds, and our souls are left in utter turmoil.
We must remember that the temptation to sin does not come from God (cf. Jas 1:13), but from the world, the flesh, or the devil. When we give in to temptation, we have only our weak, sinful nature to blame. Yet when we repent, God takes the pain and devastation of sin and, through grace, transforms us and helps us persevere to the end. Let us remember that we are fallen men, incapable of accomplishing anything good outside of Christ. And let us thank God that in Christ we are set free to overcome sin and become men of integrity and purpose once more.
Questions for Reflection
What are some of your biggest struggles with temptation?
Do you ever blame God when you fall into sin? Why? What do you need to do to accept your own blame and surrender yourself to God’s mercy?
How has God used the graces of the Sacrament of Confession to transform you?
How have your brothers in the Faith helped you to let go of sin and rely on grace?
Praying with Scripture
“Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph 2:3).
Wednesday
We Must Not Allow the Sea of Our Troubles to Toss Us About
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:24–28
It can be tempting to believe that we can be good Christians without the Church. Especially in our society today, many men believe they can pray on their own, worship in their own way, and guide their own lives. They see the Church as unnecessary or even burdensome. But the truth is, without
