Humility

The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee is almost entirely about humility. The Pharisee is self assured and proud of himself and his accomplishments and is completely confident that his works are righteous, while the Publican is justified before God by his humility. If there is a moral quality almost completely disregarded by todays society it is humility. Our culture continuously instills in us the sense of pride, of self-glorification, and of self-righteousness. It is built on the assumption that man can achieve anything by himself and doesn’t really need God?

Yet to anyone who knows God, who contemplates Him in His creation and in His saving acts, it is evident that humility is a truly divine quality. The humility of Jesus Christ is the very content, realized and expressed, during Divine Liturgy. So let us begin this Lenten Triodion by a quest, a prayer for humility which is the beginning of true repentance. Lord have mercy on us!
-part of a series adapted from “Great Lent – Journey to Pascha” by Fr. Alexander Schmemann