Voices ever ancient, every new. Sunday-Week22-2013.

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

In commenting on this verse from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew from today’s Mass Readings, Saint Benedict of Nursia writes:

“The Scripture asserts that “everyone that exalts himself will be humbled, and he that humbles himself will be exalted.” If we want to attain to true humility and come quickly to the top of that heavenly ascent to which we can only mount by lowliness in this present life, we must ascend by good works. We must erect the mystical ladder of Jacob, where angels ascending and descending appeared to him. Ascent and descent mean that we go downward when we exalt ourselves and rise when we are humbled. The ladder represents our life in this world, which our Lord erects to heaven when our heart is humbled. The sides of the ladder represent our soul and body, sides between which God has placed several rungs of humility and discipline, whereby we are to ascend if we would answer his call.” (Rule of Benedict, 7)