18 February 2022 Mark 8:34-9:1
Friday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
TOWERING OF HUMILITY
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me (Mk 8:34)
Tower of Babel is a symbol of unquenchable human tendency to SELF-GLORIFICATION. This tendency is continued in man’s desire in a competitive world to reach/obtain superlatives namely the biggest, largest, most successful, most powerful etc. A world of such a tendency will be a world of confused speech, division, rivalry, suspicion, misunderstanding, fear and hostility as it happened to the builders of Babel (Gn. 11:1-9).
Antidote to the tendency of self-glorification is DIVINE-GLORIFICATION. If used properly as stewards of creation (not master-God is the only master), because every fruit of man’s hard work and creativity gives glory to God. Divine-glorification can be accomplished through the proper building of ‘Tower of Christian Life’.
Three proposals of divine glorification by Jesus are: (1) SELF-DENIAL: To glorify Christ and kingdom center of our life not our self, (2) CROSS: If towering of Babel symbolizes human pride Cross symbolizes towering of humility! (3) FOLLOWING: To glorify God by total obedience. Amen.