I was nothing: Spend 5 with Jesus: January 29, 2023

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. In a variety of ways, it seems like human existence for an individual is the struggle from thinking too much of ourselves, or too little of ourselves. Today's second reading helps us to understand that both self-understandings are not what God intends. We are beloved and blessed children of God. When we can acknowledge and realize what it is God wants for us, we recognize that we have inestimable worth. At the same time, when we look at our accomplishments, or our material goods, our positions in society, we realize that none of these come only from our own efforts. Without God, we are nothing. But with God we can recognize our worth, and we can acknowledge with deep gratitude all that God has done for us. Be grateful today, thank God for what you have, and know you have infinite value in God's eyes. On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update.