杏MAP导航

By Robin Gomes

Don鈥檛 be 鈥渁fraid of humiliation鈥�.  Let us ask the Lord to send us 鈥渟ome鈥� to 鈥渕ake us humble鈥�, so we can 鈥渋mitate Jesus better鈥�.  The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 exhortation came at Mass, Friday morning, at Casa Santa Marta, in the Vatican.

The way of Jesus

Reflecting on the day鈥檚 Gospel of Mark on the beheading of St. John the Baptist, the 杏MAP导航 explained how he was sent by God to show 鈥渢he way of Jesus鈥�. The 鈥渓ast of the prophets鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said, had the grace to say: 鈥淭his is the Messiah鈥�.

He explained that the task of John the Baptist was not so much to preach that Jesus would come and prepare the people as to bear witness to Christ and to do so with his life.  The 杏MAP导航 said that bearing witness to the path chosen by God for our salvation is the path of humiliation.  St. Paul explains this very clearly in his Letter to the Philippians: 鈥淛esus annihilated himself to death, death on a cross鈥�. And this death on the cross, this way of annihilation, of humiliation, the 杏MAP导航 said, is also our way, the way forward that God indicates for Christians

The most humiliating end

The Holy Father pointed out that both John the Baptist and Jesus had the 鈥渢emptation of vanity, of pride鈥�.  After His fast, Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert; and John was tested before the doctors of the law who asked him if he was the Messiah.  He could have answered that he was 鈥渉is minister鈥�, and yet he 鈥渉umbled himself鈥�. 

The 杏MAP导航 said that both had authority over the people and their preaching was 鈥渁uthoritative鈥�.  Yet both had 鈥渕oments of lowliness鈥�, sort of 鈥渉uman and spiritual depression鈥�.  Jesus had his moment in the Garden of Olives, and John in prison was tempted by the 鈥渨oodworm of doubt鈥� whether Jesus was really the Messiah.  

Both 鈥渆nd in the most humiliating way鈥�.  Jesus dies on the cross, 鈥渢he death of the worst criminals, terrible physically and morally鈥�, 鈥渘aked before the people鈥� and 鈥渂efore His mother鈥�.  John the Baptist is beheaded in the prison by a guard on the orders of a king who was 鈥渨eakened by vices鈥�, 鈥渃orrupted by the whim of a dancer and the hatred of an adulteress鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said referring to Herodias and her daughter.

The 杏MAP导航 explained that John the Baptist, the great prophet and the greatest man born of woman, as Jesus regarded him, as well as the Son of God, both, chose the path of humiliation.  And this is the path that they show us and that we Christians must follow, the 杏MAP导航 said, stressing that the Beatitudes indicate the path of this humility.

The way of the world

Emphasizing that one cannot be 鈥渉umble without humiliation鈥�, the Holy Father invites Christians to learn from the day鈥檚 Gospel.

杏MAP导航 Francis explained that when we try to draw attention to ourselves in the Church and in the community in order to have a position or something, it is the way of the world, a worldly way, which is not the way of Jesus.  He said this 鈥渢emptation to climb鈥� can also happen to pastors. This, the 杏MAP导航 said, is an injustice he cannot tolerate. 鈥淚f a shepherd does not follow this humble path, he is not a disciple of Jesus,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said, adding, 鈥渉e is a climber in a cassock鈥�.  鈥淭here is no humility without humiliation鈥�.