February 12
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeMonday after Epiphany
Be not high-minded. Romans 11:20.
"FOR as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." S. Paul uses the same figure to the Corinthians as the great remedy for pride; and S. Chrysostom thus explains it: "Why dost thou think highly of thyself? Are we not all one body, both great and small? Why dost thou separate thyself and put thy brother to shame? For as he is a member of thee, so thou art of him." Humility becomes lost in love, let no one think highly of himself, for we are all members one of another; and then brotherly love itself is lost in the love of God: "For we are all one body, and that body is Christ." Thus in Christ must all Christian teaching begin and end; He Himself the true Passover, and the Lamb that is offered; in Him is our reasonable service and filial obedience. He is the New Man to Whom we are to be transformed day by day by the renewing of our mind. It is as part of His body, as limbs and members of Him, that we are to learn humility and love to one another; it is in Him we are to be about our Father's business and in His house. He is Himself that little Child according to Whose pattern we are to humble ourselves.
Hast thou ever seen the ivy Creeping up the giant tree? O thou weary, trembling Christian, Doth it nothing teach to thee?
Ah! poor Christian, like the ivy, In another's strength be strong; Lean on Jesus, He will bear thee Safely to thy home ere long.