All Souls Saturday; Our Venerable Father Boucolus, Bishop of Smyrna; the Holy Priest-Martyr Sylvanus, Bishop of Emessa and Those with Him
1 Corinthians 10:23-28; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Luke 21:8-9, 25-27, 33-36; John 5:24-30
Read 1 Corinthians 10:23-28
Humility and gratitude are two virtues that go hand-in-hand. When someone does something kind for us, for example brings over a pot of soup or a casserole when we are sick, or perhaps visits us in hospital, or comforts us when we are mourning the death of a loved one, what is our response? Are we not grateful for their merciful and loving act? In expressing our gratitude are we also not humbled that someone would be so kind to us and show us their love in this way? Perhaps such acts of kindness humble us in another way: they prick our conscience reminding us that we have not always demonstrated the same care, mercy or compassion.
As we move into the Lenten fast, the Holy Apostle Paul points to this link between gratitude and humility in today’s epistle. He reminds us that we should accept food offered by another to us in charity. This means in practice that if we are keeping a strict fast during Lent and we are invited to a meal with someone who is not fasting, we gratefully eat the meal we are offered even if it is a nice cut of prime rib. To say that we cannot eat the meat because we are fasting is a scandal, because it offends both charity and hospitality. In our pridefulness we defeat the purpose of the fast in an instant. During Great Lent humility should be at the centre of our fast and in our prayer as we, like the Publican, humble ourselves before an all-merciful God conscious of our sinfulness. As we combat our pride and vainglory we are given the grace to be truly grateful for the One who has saved us: Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us be truly grateful for His most-loving and most-merciful death on the Cross for our sake.