Homily for Thursday
of the 3d Week of Lent
March 7, 2024
Luke 11: 14-23
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.
“By the power of Beelzebul … he drives out demons” (Luke 11:
15).
Christ Heals a Deaf Mute
(Francesco Maggiotto)
Who hasn’t at some time made a rash judgment about someone
else? Or worse, attributed a bad motive
to someone else’s good actions? I’m
afraid we’ve all done that in the past, maybe thinking about a politician or an
administrator or a confrere. It remains
a temptation in the present.
When we do that, we’re thinking, speaking, or acting out of
pride—not wanting someone else to be better than we are, or more respected, or
more popular. In his weekly audience yesterday,
Pope Francis stated, “Of all vices, pride is the great queen.” He commented, “In everyday life … it ruins
human relationships; … this evil poisons that feeling of fraternity that should
instead unite people.”
The antidote to pride, we all know, is humility: to know who we really are before God. We’re sinners who need to be forgiven and
saved by Christ. Francis stated, “Salvation
comes through humility, the true remedy for every act of pride.”
So we’ll pray over our offerings in a few minutes: “Cleanse your people, Lord, from every taint
of wickedness.” Cleanse not only “your
people” as a group, Lord; but cleanse me in particular, and make me your
humble servant, following you with undivided heart; let not my heart be a
divided kingdom that Satan can lay waste (cf. Luke 11:17).
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