Fifteenth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness, And instead of his glory there will be kindling like the kindling of fire.

We are but servants of God. We are tools and vessels created by God to do His Will. If there is any goodness that comes from our thoughts, words, and works, it is God's Goodness, not our own. If we succeed at a task given to us, the laurels aren't ours to claim. We must guard against the temptation to become proud of our accomplishments. After all, they aren't really ours. They are God's first and foremost. We merely manifested His Goodness, Love, and Mercy. Our good fruits do not belong to us, but to God. He has the first right to them and we should be thankful to Him for whatever He might give us from His bounty. If we fail to do so, then like Assyria, we will have everything taken away from us. We will be left with nothing. But, if we boast rather of God and exalt Him above ourselves, then we shall be rewarded beyond our wildest dreams.

Do we boast of ourselves or of God? How can we make it a habit to give God thanks for every good thought, word, and work we have been given? What can we do to exalt God in our lives and humble ourselves?

O Lord, may our lips ever boast of you and your Goodness and not our own.

Amen.