January 10, 2025
by Steve Scholer
Creighton University's University Relations
click here for photo and information about the writer

Friday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 216

1 John 5:5-13
Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
Luke 5:12-16

 
Praying Ordinary Time


Today’s Gospel reading ends with an interesting line:

The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

Perform a miracle and then withdraw to a deserted place to pray? What a far cry from the world we live in today. Sports stars pound their chests and flex their muscles after every good play. Requests to “like” me on social media are more common now than a simple thank you. LinkedIn provides an endless account of the holder’s accomplishments, some noteworthy but most not.  

What ever happened to good old humility? Sad but true, the world of today equates humility with someone who is unsure of themselves or has low self-esteem. If you are not tooting your own horn, you must be a nobody. But as Christians, we know this could not be further from the truth.

If our goal is to live a more Christ-centered life, then we must learn to temper our egos. We must surrender ourselves to God’s will. In so doing, we are affirming God’s omnipotent hand in all we do, each day of our lives. With humility comes a grateful heart, as we become more and more aware of the blessings that God bestows on us. By practicing this simple act, we will nurture and grow our faith.

So, as we continue on in this all too messy world, let us find our own deserted place to pray, to humbly reflect on our flaws and also on our talents, and what we can do to correct or grow them so we can better serve the Lord. Hopefully, by nurturing our own humility, we will become more Christ-like, more willing to forgive, more open to the views of others, more engaged in serving others with our time, talent and treasure.

So with humility lets pray…..

Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.

- Ignatius Loyola

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to the writer of this reflection.
Scholer, Steve A <StevenScholer@creighton.edu>

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