Feast of St. Vincent de Paul
Zec. 8: 1-8 | Ps 102: 2, 16-23 | Lk 9: 46-50
Zechariah is prophesizing that God will restore Jerusalem to the Israelites. Despite their lack of fidelity, God wants them to dwell in the holy city. Thus God renews the covenant with the people.
The apostles are arguing about who is the best and who should be considered the greatest. Jesus, with great wisdom, brings them back to their senses by telling them that the greatest act as children who know that they depend upon others for everything they need. Jesus invites them to become the least and in so doing they will become the greatest. What a contradiction! Yet Jesus wants us to know that pride and the expectation that we can do it on our own are the very attitudes that cause us to fall. Relying on God, we will be humble as the child and will be able to accomplish much through us.
Pause to reflect on the quality of humility that you practice. How are you called to respond to today’s scripture?