Obscurity, Ordinariness, Goodness and Greatness
Blessed John XXIII, the pope who convened the Second Vatican Council wrote (in his Journal of a Soul) that one of the things that baffle him in the life of Jesus is its obscurity. For thirty years, the Son of God lived in obscurity – silent and unnoticed. This he says speaks of the humility of God who stripped himself of all grandeur and entitlements to live among us as one of us.
If I may add, obscurity of life that God opted for is a statement on the goodness of humanity. That God chose to become one of us and lived the simple life of a carpenter’s son is God’s way of telling us that man is capable of goodness. The simple person is capable of greatness. The carpenter’s son, the carpenter, the laborer’s son, the laborer, the ordinary person is capable of great things.
Many times, we fail to see this. We fail to see that we are capable of goodness, of greatness. Like the town mates of Jesus. Their rejection of Jesus from the fact that they knew his humble origins and humble life was not only a rejection of Jesus; it was a rejection of their own selves. They were in effect saying that they were not capable of goodness, of greatness. Worse, unable (or unwilling) to see this in ourselves, we deny this too of others. Like the town mates of Jesus there is a tendency for us to look down and dismiss people who shine in goodness and rise to greatness.
In the Philippines, this attitude is called crab mentality – from the behavior of crabs in a basket. There is no danger of losing any of them because no one would allow one to leave the basket. If one attempts to climb the basket and leave, the others pull him down, back into the basket.
To counter this mentality and attitude, one teacher’s attitude towards her students is noteworthy. When she enters the classroom, she looks at each student not for what they are, but for what they can become. Before her could be the next president, the next great scientist, the next pope, a saint. And so she has a lot of respect for them.
Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World teaches us that Christ reveals to us our truest selves. The very person of Jesus reveals to us who we are, what we are capable of, what we are destined for. But we can only become our truest selves, realize our utmost capabilities and reach our destination only if we truly and fully accept Jesus and make his teaching, his very life and person the standard and guide for our own lives. And this also entails seeing the goodness and greatness of Jesus in other people.
I invite you to pray,
Lord, make us accept the ordinariness of the life of Jesus, make the ordinariness of our lives be filled with the goodness and greatness of Jesus, and make us see not the ordinariness of other people, but the infinite capacity for goodness and greatness that you have gifted them with.
4 comments:
I agree. We should inspire each other to greater goodness for Jesus.
However, we should also be humble, and admit that we sin. I find that many people will not admit to mistakes, and this is a different fault.
its really nice reflecting at your blog...nice read!!!
I was wondering if you can help my understand the mass? Please see my blog and the article linked under false teachers that explains much about the real truth of the mass.
Can you answer back on the issues it raises? Thank you and God be praised!!
http://verilytimes.blogspot.com
I enjoyed this blog. It is very thought provoking. Everyone has the potential to be good in Christ Jesus. Everyone has the opportunity to be in Christ Jesus with accepting Him into our hearts. For "we can do nothing without Him".....nothing righteous in God's sight. For "our righteousness are as filthy rags", but when Jesus is in us...we have the righteousness of God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life" John 3:16
We are worth more than many sparrows...He knows how many hairs are on our head.
We are not important because of what we do but because of whose we are. "For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"...that we might become the children of God.
I don't know why all that came to mind. I probably should blog that. Didn't mean to preach. But that's my response to your words, which are very encouraging and pour hope into those who don't have a sense of self worth. The words of God I posted in this comment pour hope into all who hunger and thirst after righteousness and significance...and that's everyone whether they know it or not.
You are welcome to follow my blog. Some are silly and some are serious. Depends on my mood...
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