Father Ryan Higdon

What truly attracts the human heart?
 
This weekend I’ve been given pause to think about what attracts my heart. Throughout the weekend I’ve felt called to simply think about what draws my heart in and excites it. This fourth of July weekend has provided me with countless beautiful displays of patriotism, loyalty, decisiveness and strength, and yet if I’m honest with myself, as exciting as those things are for my flag waving American heart, they don’t necessarily pull me in. Faced with the reality of the world they leave something to be desired.
But something else calls.
On a weekend when decisiveness, boldness, strength, and the beauty of patriotism found in the sacrifice of so many dignified souls is held up and rightly honored by our nation, in the Church, we find something deeply challenging to the patriotic American heart.
Humility
On a weekend when we celebrate our freedom and promise to stand against anything that would bind or limit that freedom, Christ takes a different route. He tells us to be meek and humble of heart. Christ says that true rest and freedom come not as a result of any hard work of our hands or hard won liberation on our part, but instead from bondage and being yoked. By Christ’s definition, true freedom is for those who are humble enough to become a slave to him.
This seems so counter intuitive to our American heart.
And yet because it comes from Him we know it to be true. Humility and not boldness, meekness and not brashness are the route to our salvation. What then is humility and why does it attract our hearts? How can humility in Christ offer freedom?
Listen to the homily below and find out how…
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Header Image by Eduards Pulks CC/BY & Feature Image by Sergey CC/BY