He will bring the glory

Readings for Friday September 25, 2009

First Reading: Haggai 2:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 43
Gospel: Luke 9:18-22


And my spirit continues in your midst; do not fear! For thus says the LORD of hosts: One moment yet, a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come in, And I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. Mine is the silver and mine the gold, says the LORD of hosts. Greater will be the future glory of this house than the former, says the LORD of hosts; And in this place I will give you peace, says the LORD of hosts! (Hg 2:5-9)

I believe as people, we tend to place too much on ourselves. When taking on a task, we typically think that we are responsible for everything and that it is our job to make the specific task a success. We see this type of behavior in many different settings; business, ministry, school, athletics, performing arts, etc. I believe the reasons for this behavior are a combination of pride and forgetfulness. Pride is a dangerous trap that we all fall into. Pride is something that can blind us to the truth and to God's will. When we let pride get in the way of our tasks and projects, then we do not seek out guidance or help. When we get to the point where we are not seeking outside assistance, even from God then one would have to ask the question, who's will is being done? Pride can be a very dangerous enemy in our lives, one that we must always seek to keep in check.

The other reason for this type of behavior is forgetfulness. We tend to forget that it is not us that gives things their glory, but it is God who gives all things their glory. We cannot forget that God makes people and things great. Our job is not to give things their greatness and glory, but rather to be used by God to go out and do great things. When we go out for God, rather than for ourselves, then we go out for the right reasons. In the first reading today, the people were rebuilding the temple, and they needed reminded that it is not them who will make it spectacular and excellent, but it is God who will do that.

Many times we just put too much on ourselves, we simply think that our responsibilities are just so vast and so great. The reality is that we try to take on too much, and we try to take on God's role in our life. I think that we would all be better off letting the creator of the universe do His thing, while we do ours. God will give all things their glory, we just need to be open to being the vessels.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, you alone are our God and we praise you for all that you give to us and all that you do for us. Lord, help us to never forget who we are, your children. Help us to always seek to give you the glory and honor for all that we do. We pray for all those with hardened hearts towards you. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen