CCM seeks to serve the Catholic students of Washington College in Chestertown, MD. Our goal is to assist and support members in their exploration of the Catholic faith through liturgy, fellowship, and close partnership with Sacred Heart Parish. With the parish, we also provide means for the students of the college to practice their faith and participate in various community outreach programs throughout the year. All of our activities are open to all members of the college and community regardless of their religion. Check back frequently for updates on events!

Thursday, February 28, 2013

40 Thoughts: Day 14

1 Peter 5:6-7

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you."

In 1 Peter, the love of Lent seems to go both ways. First, humble yourselves. Humble yourselves because you love him, because God's hand is mighty, because he has a plan for you.

The only way we can embrace humility is loving him. How else are we meant to accept our own ridicule? How are we to stand it if not for loving God? Humiliation isn't fun, we have to have a good reason. Many times, even the love we proclaim to have for God isn't enough for us to openly humble ourselves in this lifetime.

During Lent, that's what we're asked to do. Deny yourself and follow God. That's what's asked of us. Lent is one season in which we are explicitly asked by the Church to humble ourselves, to deny our wants, and turn only to God for our needs. That takes love. If we didn't love God even a little bit, we wouldn't give up our favorite things for something many of the world thinks is stupid and arbitrary. But we humble ourselves anyways, because we love him. Or because we know we should love him. Use this humbling experience today to seek your own love for him. Ask yourself why you gave up what you did. Ask yourself what that means.

Then consider this: "so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you."

Many may believe that Lent can be a test of how far we're willing to go for God. This verse from 1 Peter leaves us with a different message. Instead it says the reason that God asks us to be humbled is so that we'll be prepared for him to lift us up. He has big plans for us, and Lent is just one way in which he prepares us for his plans.

Not only that, but he also promises to provide for us while we humble ourselves. Why? Because he cares for us.

Yes we're going to go through difficult times. Sometimes we'll choose to humble ourselves. Sometimes Jesus will humble us himself. But everything he does is out of love. If we love him back, we also have to trust him and let ourselves be humbled, knowing that great plans lay before us.

Have a humble day

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