Thought for the Day

Years ago I visited a college campus and stayed overnight in the girls' dorm. In those days, schools acted in loco parentis and actually protected the virtue of their students by keeping dorms separate and having strict visitation rules. One co-ed posted a "thought for the day" on her door. The one I remember was this:

Contrary to popular opinion, God's last name is not damn.

It made me laugh, but also think a little about the second commandment. Often I read something and think -- "That would be a good thought for the day." The Scripture is full of one-liners that one could fruitfully use for meditation. And wouldn't it be useful to choose one each day on which to meditate. 

Here's one for this morning:

The Lord gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5

I'm making that my thought for today's meditation. Humility is essential to get into heaven, as Fr. Hardon often reminded. And what a difficult virtue it is to practice, especially in a culture that constantly reminds us that "we're worth it." Worth coddling, worth demanding our own way, worth being the center of our little universe, worth putting our needs above those of everyone else. 

But that's enough about that. I'm going to dive into silence for a little while and reflect on Peter's words of wisdom and pray that the Lord will pour out on me today, the grace of humility. I'm asking Pope Leo XIII to help me. As a bishop he wrote a letter to his priests on the Practice of Humility which I'm reading for Lent. It's a good place to start for anyone who truly wants to walk in the footsteps of Christ.