4TH WEEK OF EASTER

Who was I to be able to hinder God? 

St. Peter is a wonderful example of humility. Just think, when the Holy Spirit upended his ideas about welcoming Gentiles into the Church, Peter was able to accept the revolutionary message. Imagine the kind of openness it took to set aside centuries of tradition! But such humility was hard-won.

Remember that Peter received a rebuke after he advised Jesus not to go to Jerusalem to be crucified (Matthew 16:22-23). He also denied Jesus—three times—out of fear (26:69-75). But in both cases, Peter was able to acknowledge his error, turn back to the Lord, and follow him more closely.

Peter learned that to keep moving forward with Jesus, he had to be willing to take a step back, look into his heart, and see how God was leading him to change. The vision Peter describes in today’s first reading is yet another moment of grace that illustrates this process. Watching the Spirit fall on the Roman soldier Cornelius and his family, Peter realized that he was standing in God’s way if he did not fully embrace the Gentiles who turned to Jesus.

As Peter demonstrates, we become humbler as we take the focus off ourselves. We become more open to seeking and accepting God’s perspective instead of our own. One way we can learn to do that is to make a general review of our day. This can help us grow in humility, give us God’s perspective, and teach us that we can’t always trust our own viewpoint.

How do you do it? First, sit down in a comfortable place, away from distractions. Then recall some of the things that happened during the day. Ask the Lord what he may have been saying to you during those times. As you recall some moments, you may feel that he is saying, “Well done” or “This is a blessing from me.” In other moments, he may show you how you could have viewed the situation differently.

Don’t be discouraged if you see ways you slipped up or held on too tightly to your own ideas. Like Peter, learn from them and be open to how God might be calling you to change your way of thinking. That’s the way to humility—the way of Peter and all the saints.

“Lord, help me to follow St. Peter’s example and grow in humility.”

Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4
John 10:1-10
Acts 11:1-18