THE GOLDEN RULE
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” – Matthew 7:12
“Don’t rely on people too much. When you have nothing to give, they will desert you,” my dad told me. During his better days, my dad was generous to his friends and workmates. But when the restaurant where he worked closed down, leaving him jobless and with a house amortization, his so-called friends avoided and abandoned him.
I also had my better days and I became a blessing to many people. But when I retired early to pursue my dreams, my finances started to dwindle because I had to build my new career from scratch. For some time, I kept my real financial situation from people and even my friends for fear that they might abandon me too. But I was wrong.
My friends did not desert me. They extended help, even without me asking for it. They treated me out for lunch, gave me cell phone load, or shared in my gasoline expense and parking fee. For them, these were probably ordinary acts of kindness. The cost may be immaterial but, for me, it was priceless because they gave their heart with it. Thanks to my friends, I have witnessed the golden rule in action. Judith Concepcion (svp_jmc@yahoo.com)
REFLECTION:
How are you living the golden rule? Do you help because you expect something in return?
“I have No One but You ”
Queen Esther had been informed that on the 13th day of the month, all her fellow Jews in the empire would be massacred. She was asked to appear before her husband, the king, and intercede for her people. But to appear before the king without being summoned could become the cause of her execution, so strict was it in old Persia. This is the context of today’s first reading. It is one of the most beautiful prayers we find in the Bible. It is a prayer that can become a model for our prayers.
Why is it such a beautiful prayer?
Esther, even though she is a queen, is humble. She knows that without God she cannot do anything. “I am alone and have no one but you,” she said at the end.
Her prayer is honest. She does not pretend to be humble, no, she is humble. And what does God love more than humility and a humble prayer? Remember Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector going to the Temple to pray? The Pharisee brags and tells God how good he is. The tax collector, on the other hand, does not dare to look up but just says, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” And Jesus praises him and his humble prayer.
It takes courage to be humble because pride lurks in all our hearts. No, humility is not weakness. Humility is strength. It is the self-emptying of our hearts, the spiritual “undressing” until we stand naked and empty before God and can only say with Queen Esther, “I am alone and have no one but you. I am standing before you with empty hands. I totally depend on your fatherly love, compassion, mercy and generosity.”
That’s the prayer that touches God’s heart because it reflects the attitude of God’s Son. He humbled Himself, saying, “I am meek and humble of heart”; He did not come to be served but to serve; and, in the words of St. Paul, He emptied Himself to become one of us. It would be good to begin our imitation of Christ by imitating first and foremost His humility. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD
Reflection Question:
Is my prayer humble? Do I tell God how good I am or do I stand before God empty-handed?
Lord, the humble prayer of Esther has touched me profoundly. May I be able to pray in future like her. Because who and what am I without You?
Blessed Constantius, pray for us.
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