The Catholic Guide to Depression

Should I see a priest . . . or a shrink? Is more prayer the solution . . . or medications? How have Catholic popes and saints kept depression from controlling their lives?    *          *          *  Countless Christians — including scores of saints — have suffered the profound, pervasive sorrow that modern psychiatrists call “depression.” Those suffering from this wearying desolation of soul are often left with more questions than answers, never sure where to turn or who to trust. In his bestselling book, The Catholic Guide to Depression, Catholic psychiatrist Dr. Aaron Kheriaty reviews effective ways to deal with this grave affliction — ways that are not only consistent with the teachings of the Church, but even rooted in many of those teachings. Extensive clinical experience treating patients with depression has shown Dr. Kheriaty that the confessional can’t cure neuroses, nor can the couch forgive sin. In fact, healing comes only when we integrate the legitimate discoveries of modern psychology and pharmacology with spiritual direction and the Sacraments, giving particular attention to the wisdom of the Church Fathers and the saints. Here you’ll learn how to distinguish depression from similar looking but fundamentally different mental states such as guilt, sloth, the darkness of sin, and the sublime desolation called “dark night of the soul” that is, in fact, a privileged spiritual trial sent as a special gift from God. You’ll come to know how to identify the various types of depression and come to understand the interplay of their often manifold causes; biological, psychological, behavioral, cultural, and, yes, moral. From the rich pages of The Catholic Guide to Depression you’ll also learn . . .  The manifold causes of depression. Plus, what the Church teaches about its roots in man’s estrangement from God; Why a holistic approach to depression (psychiatric, pharmacological, and spiritual) best reflects the Church’s understanding of the unity of body and soul; Why antidepressants are often necessary, but never sufficient;   The kinds of psychotherapy and the merits and weaknesses of each: cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, and others;   The roles and limits of pharmacology, psychotherapy, and spirituality in overcoming depression (and why all three are generally necessary);   How diet, exercise, vitamins, and other non-medical treatments can alleviate the symptoms of depression, and often even drive away its lesser forms;   How seeking appropriate help — medical or otherwise — nurtures humility, helps you pray, and can itself help lift depression;   The special self-knowledge granted to the depressed (in some ways, their vision is clearer than that of the rest of us!);   How, though not sufficient, silence, prayer, spiritual reading, and a plan of life can quicken hope and speed healing from depression, even when your desolation is greatest;   Ways to keep depression from retarding your spiritual progress (and how your spiritual progress can lighten the burden of depression);   Why, the greater your desolation, the closer you must stay to the Sacraments, embraced there by your Brother in anguish, the suffering Christ;   St. Peter, St. Teresa of Avila, Pope John Paul II, Pope Pius XII, Pope Benedict XVI, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Philip Neri, St. Benedict Joseph Labre,  St. Josemaria Escriva: what these good Catholics have taught us about depression (many suffered from it themselves);   And much more, to help you understand depression and, using the combined powers of psychiatry and the sacraments, finally free yourself from its suffocating grip. This best-selling book is a must-have resource for friends, loved-ones, pastors, and spiritual directors who lack the knowledge they need to give depressed persons the understanding, help, and comfort they so desperately need.   The Catholic Guide to Depression by Dr. Aaron Kheriaty and Fr. John Cihak 288 Pages  -  List Price: $19.95     Order online HERE Save 30% when you order the set:      Regular Price: $34.99 Order the set  at this link for only $23.99   St. Francis de Sales called St. John of Avila "the learned and saintly preacher." St. Francis Borgia called him "the Great Master" and St. Teresa of Avila named him "the Master of things spiritual." Last year Pope Benedict XVI named St. John of Avila the 34th "Doctor of the Universal Church." Here St. John offers the life-giving habits of an authentic Christian life--habits that develop not through false "conversions" and "visions," but in the slow and steady steps on the path to holiness.   Among the many lessons you will learn from this new Doctor of the Church: How suffering is frequently the means God chooses to reveal His mercy and His design for our lives.   True beauty: for a Christians it will shine out in poverty, chastity, and fidelity, not in the luxuries and comforts of this world.   The easy graces of the liturgical year: one of the surest ways to develop in sanctity, and how Christians should ready themselves for the gifts which the Holy Spirit will send.   The dangers of personal resolutions: These are often built upon pride and mistaken notions, but God sends us every day trials to transform us into His spiritual champions.   How a Christian should prepare himself for Holy Mass, how to approach the Blessed Sacrament, and what real participation in the Sacrifice means.   That weakness, persecution, and infidelity are often found within the institutional Church, and what we can do to combat it or at least suffer it faithfully. Save 30% when you order the set HERE   Order online above, or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com

FORGIVING ONE’S SELF

1^ST READING - Colossians 3:12-17

12 Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. 14 And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one Body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

P S A L M - Psalm 150:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

1 Praise the Lord in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength. 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty. (R) 3 Praise him with the blast of the trumpet, praise him with lyre and harp, 4 praise him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and pipe. (R) 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals, praise him with clanging cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Alleluia. (R)

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought toperfection in us.

Luke 6:27-38

27 Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. 35 But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful. 37 Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

SABBATH

In the pursuit of our dreams, we inevitably commit mistakes and encounter defeat along the way. And more often than not, we feel bad because our mistakes and failures seem to indicate that we are never good enough. But have we pondered on this statement deeply? Whoever said we were not good enough?        Most of the time, it is our own self — our own pride — trying to tell us: “You are no better compared to him; you should have been number one, not him,” and so on. We hate not being number one. But what’s wrong with being the second best?        We are held in bondage by the competitions we impose upon ourselves, without realizing that the true delimiting figure in our life lies at the very core of our being, hidden in the deepest recesses of our heart. We will never be able to win the race that is not ours in the first place. We need to free ourselves from competition.        The Gospel today talks about forgiveness: “Forgive and you will be forgiven.” It invites us to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful. Butmore than being other-directed, forgiveness should first spring from within us. We can only truly begin to forgive others if we first learn to forgive ourselves for our shortcomings, our failures, our indecisions.        Know that God always forgives those who forgive others, including themselves. And He is a God of second chances. We should not be restricted by the mistakes, defeats and indecisions of the past. The present has the power to redeem our past; it has the capacity to change our future.        Let us ask ourselves today: What are we capable of doing? And then, quite calmly, go off in search of our own immense potential,  claiming boldly that gifts will be given to us — a good measure, packed together, shaken down and overflowing! Fr. Erick Y. Santos, OFS REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you totally forgiven yourself and others? Lord, thank You for giving me a second chance each time I fail and fall. Amen. St. Ailbhe, pray for us. Do you want to receive this in your email. To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, register and log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await.

Pope Francis and the Church's Witness Against War

by Father John McCloskey

Several days ago, Pope Francis condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria and called for a negotiated settlement of that ferociously fought civil war, announcing that he would lead a worldwide day of fasting and prayer for peace on Sept. 7.

He also made it quite clear, at least to this author, that he decidedly disfavors resorting to arms as a solution — instead launching his moral suasion, personal witness and public and private diplomacy against U.S. President Barack Obama's proposed intervention (also being entertained by France, although Great Britain has rejected it).

Intervening militarily, however "targeted" or "limited" that intervention is intended to be, can only cause more death and suffering for the people of Syria and quite possibly precipitate a much greater conflagration in the Middle East and beyond that is horrifying to contemplate.

Let us not forget the hundreds of thousands of deaths resulting from President George W. Bush's rejection of John Paul II's pleas not to wage war in Afghanistan and Iraq following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In recent days, it has been Pope Francis' turn to plead for peace, with seeming inefficacy ("How many divisions does the Pope have?"). Francis' "War brings on War! Violence brings on Violence!" echoes not only John Paul's firmly voiced opposition to the American onset of hostilities following Sept. 11, 2001, but earlier papal voices such as Paul VI's ("No more war. War never again" and "If you want peace, work for justice") and John XXIII's encyclical Pacem in Terris.

This kind of strong and urgent opposition to contemporary aggression between nations, voiced unanimously by the full complement of recent popes, joined by many other authoritative ecclesial and lay Catholic figures, tends to provoke cynical or world-weary smiles and shrugs of dismissal. What seemed obvious to baby boomers in their teens and 20s as they listened to the Fab Four voice their resistance to Vietnam-era killing in the cause of freedom and democracy ("All we are saying is give peace a chance!") is now dismissed as utopian and simplistic, not even worthy of sustained attention or respectful disagreement.

Could this proposed intervention possibly be just? Pope Francis does not seem to believe so, and you have probably intuited my own stance. Readers interested in forming their own opinions according to the mind of the Church can take a look at the Catechism of the Catholic Church, dwelling especially on Paragraphs 2302-2317, and in particular perhaps on just-war requirements, that "there must be serious prospects of success," and "the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated" (2309).

It's hard to see who could better judge the prospects for success and danger of graver harm than the Christian leaders who are on the ground in Syria — and who, like Christian leaders in pre-war Iraq, had strong reservations to war. (According to the statistics I found on Iraq Body Count, some 174,000 civilian and combat deaths have resulted from Bush's mistaken pursuit of Weapons of Mass Destruction.) One can certainly understand why Pope Francis wants all parties in the civil war to "put down their arms," attend to the voice of conscience, and, with courage, take up the way of negotiations.

Without veering too far into our own domestic sins, it must be admitted that our government's standing to advance a moral argument to meddle in the internal affairs of other countries is at best compromised by permitting and in various ways funding millions of abortions yearly, promoting "gay marriage," attempting to wrest from its own citizens their religious rights, and exhibiting yawning indifference to the shameful distribution, at home and abroad, of pornography that constitutes one of America's most lucrative businesses.

If it were possible for Nero and Caligula to re-enter history through an National Institutes of Health-funded cloning of their DNA, who could doubt that they would settle on the United States for the site of their reinvigorated Pleasure Palace?

Perhaps I could conclude where I asked readers to begin: by considering a citation from the Catechism. We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Catechism's publication — one of the anniversaries for which Pope Benedict XVI originally announced the now-waning Year of Faith.

If there can ever be true peace this side of the heavenly Jerusalem, it certainly will not come through either war or world government, but, rather, through cooperation and a human flourishing of the gifts that have been given to us by our Creator.

Various causes of religious, political and financial nature today give the "social question a worldwide dimension." There must be a solidarity among nations that are already politically interdependent. It is even more essential when it is a question of dismantling "the perverse mechanisms" that impede the development of the less advanced countries. In place of abusive if not usurious financial systems, iniquitous commercial relations among nations and the arms race, there must be substituted a common effort to mobilize resources toward the objectives of moral, cultural and economic development, "redefining the priorities and hierarchies of values" (Catechism, 2438).

May it be so.

First appeared on National Catholic Register in September, 2013.

Today's Mass Reading - Sunday, September 8, 2013 with Reflection

Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary

1^ST READING - Wisdom 9:13-18 (Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30)

13 Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what our Lord intends? 14 For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. 15 For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. 16 And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? 17 Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your Holy Spirit from on high? 18 And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

P S A L M - Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17 (or Psalm 13:6, 6)

R: In every age, O Lord , you have been our refuge.

3 You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 5 You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, 6 which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! (R) 14 Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. 17 And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands! (R)

2^nd READING - Philemon 9-10, 12-17

9 I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, 10 urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. 15 Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord . 17 So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Let your face shine upon your servant; and teach me your laws.

Luke 14:25-33 (or Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 ) 25 Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, 26 “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? 29 Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him 30 and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ 31 Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? 32 But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. 33 In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

SABBATH

MARY, DISCIPLE AND MOTHER The Gospel today talks about discipleship: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Discipleship entails sacrificing our life, even to the point of death, much like Jesus’ own death on the cross in order to follow the design of His Father in heaven.        It is very telling that today is September 8, the birthday of Mary, the Mother of God. She is the perfect model for us, being the first disciple herself. She might not have known it in the beginning, but she was destined for great things, for the most challenging yet most fulfilling role: to be thetheotokos, the Mother of God. Her yes to Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation speaks of her unconditional assent to God’s plan for her.        Mary shared in the cross of Christ. She remained faithful to her Son, journeying with Him every step of the way. She was happiest when He was born, most submissive when He started His public ministry, and most devastated when He suffered and died on the cross.        Mothers play a crucial role in the lives of their children. They can, as it were, make or break their future. With this said, the decision to be a mother goes beyond the willingness to carry the child in one’s womb. It demands commitment to rear children to their fullest potential, to be there in their children’s joys and pains, trials and victories.        As the whole Church remembers Mary today, we are challenged to renew our own yes to the will of God for us. If we truly want to follow the Lord, we need to allow ourselves to experience rejection, pain, hurt, betrayal, suffering — knowing fully well, because we trust in the Lord who saves, that there is something great waiting for us in the end. When Mary said yes to be the mother of God, she also said yes to the pain of the cross, which her Son was bound to carry. But she still said yes because she knew in her heart that the pain was just part of what she was destined to be. She was humble enough to accept God’s invitation to be part of His plan for the salvation of men. Fr. Erick Y. Santos, OFS REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you honor Mary, the Mother whom Jesus shared with you, and your own earthly mother? Lord, like Mary, may I remain ever obedient to the will of the Father. Amen. St. Adrian, pray for us. Do you want to receive this in your email. To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, register and log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await.

September 04 - Today is the feast of St. Rosalia

ST. ROSALIA, Virgin (†; 1160)

St. Rosalia was daughter of a noble family descended from Charlemagne. She was born at Palermo in Sicily, and despising in her youth worldly vanities, made herself an abode in a cave on Mount Pelegrino, three miles from Palermo, where she completed the sacrifice of her heart to God by austere penance and manual labor, sanctified by assiduous prayer and the constant union of her soul with God.

She died in 1160. Her body was found buried in a grot under the mountain, in the year of the jubilee, 1625, under Pope Urban VIII., and was translated into the metropolitan church of Palermo, of which she was chosen a patroness. To her patronage that island ascribes the ceasing of a grievous pestilence at the same time.

http://mobile.evangelizo.org/saintDetails.php?id=9979

September 03 - Today is the feast of St. Gregory the Great

SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT, Pope and Doctor of the Church (540-604)

Gregory was a Roman of noble birth, and while still young was governor of Rome. On his father's death he gave his great wealth to the poor, turned his house on the Cœlian Hill into a monastery, which now bears his name, and for some years lived as a perfect monk.

The Pope drew him from his seclusion to make him one of the seven deacons of Rome; and he did great service to the Church for many years as what we now call Nuncio to the Imperial court at Constantinople. While still a monk the saint was struck with some boys who were exposed for sale in Rome, and heard with sorrow that they were pagans. "And of what race are they?" he asked. "They are Angles." "Worthy indeed to be Angels of God," said he. "And of what province?" "Of Deira," was the reply. "Truly must we rescue them from the wrath of God. And what is the name of their king?" "He is called Ella." "It is well," said Gregory; "Alleluia must be sung in their land to God." He at once got leave from the Pope, and had set out to convert the English when the murmurs of the people led the Pope to recall him. Still the Angles were not forgotten, and one of the Saint's first cares as Pope was to send from his own monastery St. Augustine and other monks to England.

On the death of Pope Pelagius II., Gregory was compelled to take the government of the Church, and for fourteen years his pontificate was a perfect model of ecclesiastical rule. He healed schisms; revived discipline; saved Italy by converting the wild Arian Lombards who were laying it waste; aided in the conversion of the Spanish and French Goths, who were also Arians; and kindled anew in Britain the light of the Faith, which the English had put out in blood.

He set in order the Church's prayers and chant, guided and consoled her pastors with innumerable letters, and preached incessantly, most effectually by his own example.

He died A. D. 604, worn out by austerities and toils; and the Church reckons him one of her four great doctors, and reveres him as St. Gregory the Great.

http://mobile.evangelizo.org/saintDetails.php?id=9978bn

Today's Mass Readings - Sunday, September 1, 2013 with Reflection

1^ST READING - Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

17 My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. 18 Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. 20 What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not. 28 The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise. 29 Waterquenches a flaming fire, and alms atone for sins.

P S A L M - Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11

R: God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

3 [4] The just rejoice and exult before God; they are glad andrejoice. 4 [5] Sing to God, chant praise to his name, whose name is the Lord . (R) 5 [6] The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. 6 [7] God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity. (R) 9 [10] A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance; you restored the land when it languished; 10 [11] your flock settled in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy. (R)

2^ND READING - Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24

18 Brothers and sisters: You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm 19 and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them. 22 No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenlyJerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, 23 and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, 24and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

Luke 14:1, 7-14

1 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. 7 He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,9 and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. 10Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. 13 Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; 14 blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

SABBATH

THE HIGHWAY CALLED HUMILITY As a child, I dreamt of living the good life. Born of impoverished parents, I’d always dreamt of a big house with large chandeliers, plenty of beautiful children and a swimming pool. It’s free to dream, so I enjoyed dreaming to the hilt, thinking that all these comforts would bring me the joy that I’d been seeking for.        The Lord answered my prayers —He fulfilled my dreams when I became a priest. I dreamt of a big house, and the Lord gave me a church — a big church indeed, with large chandeliers hanging in the ceiling. The Lord gave me children — plenty of children, as everyone calls me “Father.” And the Lord gave me a swimming pool. In my early years as a priest, I was assigned to flood-prone Malabon. Our church would be submerged in water during typhoons and high tide. The Lord granted my wishes, not so much in terms of giving in to my whims, but to teach me a lesson in humble giving and sharing.        As He blesses us, He expects us to be more humble and generous. He calls us to “conduct our affairs with humility.” There is a reason why the Lord showers us with every good blessing. He wishes that His generosity be recognized by others through us. Indeed, “alms atone for sins.”     In today’s parable, Jesus, the humblest of all humble servants, reminds us against seeking places of honor and prestige. In a world where people seek recognition and honor, where every title matters so much, it is very difficult to remain lowly. It’s a rat race. One has to prove his worth.        But then, the Lord shows us the way to prove one’s worth: through the one challenging highway called humility. Humility does not mean being quiet and doing nothing. One can still be productive without bragging. It is doing something, being active without the usual drum beating and clashing of cymbals. It’s doing things quietly.        When we humbly serve the least of our brethren, we are assured of a reward: “You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Fr. Erick Y. Santos, OFS REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you practice humility in your daily life? Lord, grant me the heart of a humble person who does not seek greatness, but the desire to serve You in others, especially the poor. St. Giles, pray for us. Do you want to receive this in your email. To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, register and log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await.