May 15, 2014
Thursday, 4th Week
of Easter
1st Reading: Acts 13:13–25
Gospel: Jn 13:16–20
After Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples he said. “Truly, I say to you, the servant is not greater than his master, nor is the messenger greater than he who sent him. Understand this, and blessed are you if you put it into practice.
“I am not speaking of you all, because I know the ones I have chosen and the Scripture has to be fulfilled that says, The one who shared my table has risen against me. I tell you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may know that I am He.
“Truly, I say to you, whoever welcomes the one I send, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
One who is sent merely represents the sender; in him the spirit and charism of the sender stands out even at the expense of his identity.
When the messenger pursues his own motives, he eclipses the agenda of the sender and throws the monkey wrench unto the whole mission. In light of this a proud person cannot be a messenger for long. Humility is the outstanding characteristic of one who is sent.
Christ entrusted the keys of the kingdom to his Vicar, St. Peter. These keys have been handed down to the different popes that succeeded Peter. But what stands out in the Church is the power of God as every Pope acknowledges that he is the servant of the servants of God. Hence the Latin title “Servus Servorum Dei” (Servant of the servants of God) used as one of the titles of the Pope and often appears at the beginning address of Papal documents. It was Pope St. Gregory (590-604) who first used this title in contradistinction with the Archbishop of Constantinople named John the Faster who proclaimed himself as the “Ecumenical Patriarch” (a title of superiority intended to overshadow the Bishop of Rome). The use of the more humble title by St. Gregory was supposed to be a lesson on humility for John the Faster.
The Church, admittedly, has not always shown a good example in the exercise of humility. This has been the source of many abuses in the hierarchy. This weakness humbles the church that has remained human albeit holy, catholic and apostolic. The good news is that in her weakness the Church has always enjoyed God’s abiding presence as promised by Jesus when he said, ‘I will be with you until the end of time” (Matthew 28:20).
But while it is true that Christ supplies for the inadequacy of his Church leaders, they must cultivate the virtue of humility, or face severe sanctions in the afterlife for throwing the monkey wrench unto God’s mission. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.
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