Grace Overflows All The More

I read a fair number of spiritual newsletters, essays, books, and articles. I enjoy being exposed to new or deeper insights, but it is also beneficial to consider the challenges that often arise. Reflecting periodically upon the state of our spiritual life is important, especially to uncover and then work on areas of attachments and sinfulness, gauging whether or not we are progressing in our life of faith. The point is not to berate ourselves or to engage in feelings of guilt, but rather it enables the recognition of our need to ask the Holy Spirit for aid in spiritual growth and to tap into the mercy of God, something we often lose sight of when avoiding any reflection upon our own weaknesses. Unless we do this, we will not be fully accepting the unfathomable gift of God’s mercy which He wants to give, nor will we be able to grow into the person He created us to be, that is, holy. In Genesis, God revealed that humans are made in His image and likeness, calling us “very good” (Gen. 1:31). But after sin entered the world, we began to have need of His mercy; this action begins through the gift of Baptism, indeed a mercy of God, and we remain in a continual process of reclaiming who He created us to be through the gift of the Holy Spirit, without whom our efforts would be fruitless. Of this St. Paul wrote: “… where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.” (Romans 5:20) Thus, where sin increases within our lives, grace and mercy overflow “all the more.” Acknowledging our own sin, then, is to allow God’s mercy, to overflow within us enabling healing and growth. Let us never forget: He sees us. He knows us. He loves us.

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Implicit in what St. Paul said is the understanding that if we desire to grow in our spiritual life, and therefore as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must strive to grow in humility. I am reminded of a comment I heard recently: “Being virtuous or exercising valor to gain attention is neither virtue nor valor.” * This rightly suggests that seeking to gain attention through our service or in overt displays of piety is the opposite of humility. It doesn’t mean that we should never pray in public or enact a work of service that someone witnesses; that is unrealistic, nor is it in keeping with some of what discipleship entails. But it is to say that we need to keep our motivations at the forefront as we do things others can see. Jesus taught this in the Sermon on the Mount: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them, otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others….” Similarly, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them…. When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret.” (Matthew 6:1-8) What Jesus is getting at is not that we should never pray openly, (if so, no one would go to religious services of any kind!) Rather, He is saying that we should not make displays of piety to outperform the next person or to garner attention so that people will think us holy. In short, our prayer and our works should be done to glorify God and not ourselves.

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Of course, we must also remember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector which Jesus told in response to the self-righteous. In it, both men entered the temple to pray. The Pharisee, quite full of himself, proceeded to “take up his position” and “spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity, greedy, dishonest, adulterous, or even like this tax collector.’” Meanwhile, the tax collector “stood at a distance, and would not even raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’” Jesus concluded by saying that the humble sinner went home justified, whereas the Pharisee did not. (Luke 18:9-14) Therefore, it is rather clear that God favors a humble, contrite heart to one that thinks of itself as justified because of their good works and therefore needs no interior work.**

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It can be quite challenging to look into our own motivations, and likewise, we must be careful not to fall into the temptation of becoming overly scrupulous as we do so. Therefore, it is essential to keep the Holy Spirit involved in our prayer. In other words, we need His grace in order to grow in self-awareness rather than in self-repudiation. Being virtuous is what we all should strive for, but true virtue always springs from humility, that is, remembering who we are before God. I am reminded of a favorite quote, one which I keep on my desk at all times. It comes from St. Catherine of Siena: “Knowledge of ourselves gives birth to profound humility.” Indeed, if we were to recognize how little we are in comparison to God, and yet how greatly He loves us and responds to our prayers, our humility would grow, and our awe and gratitude at the enormity of His mercy would also grow. In this growth is holiness, and it is this response that the Lord seeks as our offering to Him. 

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May we seek to grow in knowledge of ourself! May we grow in humility, responding to the enormous gift of God’s grace and mercy! May we grow in discipleship, witnessing to the Lord through our humble acts of service! And may God’s grace and mercy overflow! Let us meet in the merciful Heart of Jesus! Peace!

​                            ©Michele L. Catanese

* I believe this statement was made by Robert Royal, the editor-in-chief of The Catholic Thing and president of the Faith & Reason Institute in Washington, D.C. 
** Reference to Psalm 51:18-19: “For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit, a contrite, humbled heart, O God you will not scorn.” Quite often in the Old Testament, especially in the Prophetic books, there are passages that emphasize God’s preference for sincerity rather than copious offerings, which are often represented by bulls, goats, and the many material sacrifices that were done as if to satisfy an obligation or to appear pious.

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​Note: Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, one of which is “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) I would argue that each and every one of the Beatitudes is about having a humble heart. Perhaps something to ponder. By the way, I did write an entry about the Sermon on the Mount a while back. If interested go to https://www.catanesesd.com/micheles-blog/the-gospel-within-the-gospels
Images:
1. My photo; Creation of the World, by Giusto de' Menabuoi, (1378). This fresco is in the dome of the Baptistry, Padua, Italy.
2. Drawing; Old Man Praying by Vincent van Gogh.
​3. My photo; Lost Maples Natural Area, Vanderpool, Texas. Some humble pines in the foreground and the more 'attention-seeking' colored maples behind them.
4. Painting; Gesù restituisce a santa Caterina la crocetta ricevuta da lei in veste di pellegrino, (Jesus Returns to St. Catherine the Little Cross She Received as a Pilgrim), by Crescenzio Gambarelli, (1602). This is found insided the Basilica of San Domenico, Siena, Italy. Wikimedia Commons.
5. Painting; Divine Mercy, Jesus I Trust in You.
6. Icon; Mother of God Asking for Humility, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this at ​fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-god-asking-for-humility-143-william-hart-mcnichols.html

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.

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