Dear Parishioners,

The world we occupy today puts a high premium on being first and foremost in every aspect of one’s life but, while we should strive to be the best we can in all walks of life, we must be careful not to ride rough shod over everyone around us.

Jesus gives us the formula for tempering this rush to prominence later on in the Gospel when He reminds us to humble ourselves regarding our approach to living life. He even goes so far as to say, “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Reminding us that we are all equal in the eyes of God and that humility is one of the greatest virtues.

The entire concept is a “hard sell” in our world today, but now more necessary than ever. The pressure put on our young people in particular can be devastating when it consumes people with the obsession to be number one. Rather, we should all recognize the inherent value of the great commandment, “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and humble ourselves whenever possible through acts of faith, hope and charity. This will almost certainly make us exalted in the sight of God, which in the end is all that matters.