Divine humility confronted pride in the Annunciation

Catholic Homilies by Fr Linus Clovis

Today we celebrate the annunciation of Our Lord. The great mystery of the union between God and man. When majesty puts on lowliness, where power puts on meekness, where eternity puts on time and immortality puts mortality. These are the words of the great pope, St. Leo the first. We are in the midst of this great mystery, the mystery of our redemption. How can we contemplate it? If we are to summarise it, we can say one thing, that humility confronted pride. Divine humility confronts human pride. We know from the scriptures, we know from the teaching of the fathers, that the greatest sin of all is pride. It is to overcome our pride that God displayed this incredible humility which we are even unable to fully grasp. What is pride? Pride is many things, yet one thing is certain it’s the root of the first sin. The first explosion of pride is found in the angel who dared to say he would be like God. This in fact gives is immediately an idea of what pride is, to be like God. But then we think about it didn’t God make us in His own image and likeness? Aren’t we commanded even by the Lord, that we should be like our Father in heaven? Yes, all of that is true, so how does pride fit into this? We have been made in the image and likeness of God and we are commanded to be like God. That was the temptation that was presented to our first parents. ‘You can be like gods knowing good and evil’ and here we have exactly what pride is. We have been made in the image and likeness of God and therefore we are to be like God in some things and in other things we cannot be like God. In any attempt to be like God in those other things is a rebellion against God. So the things we are to be like God consist of mercy, being mercy as your heavenly Father is merciful. We are to be compassionate even as our heavenly Father is compassionate… For Fr. Linus’ complete homily please listen to the Audio.