195th Subject: Jesus Christ the Model of Humility

Debased Himself, taking the form of a servant.—PHIL. ii. 7.

Jesus Christ made Himself our model in the practice of all the virtues; but we may truly say, that there was not one of them which shone with so much brightness in Him, as humility. He was pleased, for love of us, to take our nature, to cover Himself with the semblance of sin, the thing most shameful and most humiliating in the eyes of God. He chose a Mother whose family had lost all its glory, and a guardian who exercised an obscure occupation. It was His choice to be born in a stable, a circumstance which would cause to blush the man most denuded of the goods of this world! He fled from Herod, like a child unable to defend himself. He hid Himself for nearly thirty years, and appeared only as the son of a carpenter. He revealed neither science, nor talents, nor anything which might bring Him renown.

At a later period, He suffered Himself to be called the friend of sinners, a man of good cheer, a Samaritan, one possessed with a devil, a disturber of the public peace. He permitted that some should pursue Him from city to city as a malefactor, to put Him to death. At the Supper He washed the feet of His disciples, and even of Judas. He suffered Himself afterwards to be seized, bound and fettered.

He was accused before the priests, a thousand insults were spoken to Him. He was struck on the face, He was judged worthy of death. He is accused before Pilate of many crimes,. and He does not justify Himself. Treated by Herod as a fool and void of sense, He does no act, He says not a word to vindicate Himself, to confound His enemies. They preferred before Him one seditious and a murderer. They bound him to a pillar, they scourged Him as a slave, they spat in His face, they crowned Him with thorns, they made Him an object of ridicule by derisive salutations! They loaded Him with a heavy cross; they conducted Him to Calvary; He was trailed in the mire, trampled under foot, overwhelmed with opprobrium, covered with contempt and ignominy; finally, He was fastened to a cross between two noted thieves, as if He had been more culpable than they!

Behold how far our Divine Master chose to carry His humility! Let us think often of the words which He addressed to His disciples: I have given you an example.... if you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them.— ST. JOHN xiii. 15.

Pause.

ACT OF CONTRITION.—Ah! my Saviour, Thou didst seek humiliations, and I fly from them; Thou wert abased even at the feet of the traitor who did betray Thee, and I desire to exalt myself—I, who merit nothing but shame and confusion! I desire to exalt myself even above those who are much more worthy than I! What enormous discrepancy between Thy conduct and mine! and nevertheless, I call myself Thy disciple! Pardon me, Lord, pardon me by Thy infinite merits, and by the intercession of Thy most holy Mother, the most humble of creatures.

I make the resolution to......