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Office Of Readings | Advent Tuesday Week 3 | A Reading From The Imitation Of Christ | Of Humble Submission, Of The Good, Peaceable Man
‘On humility and peace.’
This reading concerns the interior discipline required for humility and peace. It begins by redirecting attention away from other people and towards God. The question is not who supports us or opposes us, but whether our actions are aligned with God. A clear conscience before God is presented as the primary form of security.
The reading stresses patience under difficulty. Silent endurance is not described as weakness, but as a way of entrusting judgement and outcome to God. The timing and manner of deliverance are said to belong to God, not to human control.
Humility is closely linked with an honest awareness of weakness. Allowing others to see our limitations, and accepting criticism without agitation, is presented as beneficial for spiritual growth. Humility reduces conflict because it removes the need to assert oneself or to retaliate.
Peace is described as an interior condition that affects how a person interprets others. A peaceful person does not readily suspect bad intentions and is less disturbed by the behaviour of others. By contrast, inner unrest leads to suspicion, excessive speech, and misplaced concern with the faults of others.
The reading repeatedly calls for self-attention rather than comparison. The instruction is to examine one’s own conduct before judging that of others. Humility is expressed in patience with others and restraint in judgement. Peace grows where self-justification gives way to self-knowledge.
A Reading From The Imitation Of Christ | Of Humble Submission, Of The Good, Peaceable Man
Do not worry about who is and is not on your side: simply make sure that God is with you in all you do.
Have a clear conscience, and God will defend you. For if God chooses to help you, no malice can do you harm.
If you know how to suffer in silence, without doubt you will receive the help of the Lord. He knows when and how he will free you, so resign yourself into his care. It is for God to give help and give freedom from trouble.
For the sake of humility it is often good for others to know our weaknesses and tax us with them.
When a man holds himself humbly because of his weakness, it is easy for him to please others and calm those who are angry with him.
God protects and frees the humble, loves and consoles them. He leans down to the humble, he bestows great grace on them, he lifts them from their lowliness into glory.
God calls the humble gently to him, and to them he reveals his secrets.
If a humble man is humiliated, he is happy enough and at peace, because his support is God and not the world.
Do not count yourself as having made progress until you feel yourself inferior to everyone.
A peaceable man is of more use than a learned man.
If you are a slave to your feelings, you will see good actions as bad, and you will easily believe the worst; a good and peaceful man will see good in everything.
Whoever is truly at peace is not plagued by suspicion. Whoever is discontented and disturbed will be blown about by gusts of suspicion: he cannot rest and will not let others rest either.
He often says what he should not say, and fails to do what it would be best to do.
He knows what other people ought to do, but not what he should be doing himself.
Worry about your own behaviour first; you can worry about other people later.
You are good at making excuses for your own behaviour and showing it in the best light, but you do not want to accept the excuses of others. It would be fairer for you to accuse yourself and excuse your brother.
If you want other people to put up with you, put up with them first.
Christian Prayer With Jesus
Lord God,
teach us to seek your presence
rather than human approval.
Give us patience in difficulty,
truthfulness about ourselves,
and restraint in judging others.
Grant us humility of heart
and the peace that comes from trusting you.
Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
The Imitation of Christ – A late medieval devotional work traditionally attributed to Thomas à Kempis, focused on interior spiritual life.
Humility – A truthful awareness of one’s condition before God, without self-exaltation.
Peace – Interior steadiness that is not dependent on circumstances or approval.
Clear conscience – Awareness of acting in accordance with God’s will.
Patience – Endurance without resentment or haste.
Self-examination – Attention to one’s own conduct rather than the faults of others.
In the Bible, a miracle is an event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency. Miracles are often seen as a sign of the intervention of God in the affairs of human beings. In the Old Testament, the most famous miracles are the Ten Plagues of Egypt, in which God punished the Pharaoh for refusing to release the Israelites from slavery, and the parting of the Red Sea, in which God allowed the Israelites to escape from the pursuing Egyptians by opening a path through the sea. In the New Testament, the miracles of Jesus are a central part of his ministry and are seen as evidence of his divinity. These include healings, such as the restoration of sight to the blind and the raising of the dead, and acts of nature, such as turning water into wine and walking on water. Is There A Theological Significance To Jesus’ Miracles? In the Christian tradition, the miracles performed by Jesus are seen as a manifestation of his divinity and as proof of his authority to teach and heal. Many of these miracles are described in the Gospels of the New Testament, which are the primary source of information about the life and teachings of Jesus. The purpose of the miracles, according to the Gospels, was to demonstrate Jesus’ power over natural forces and to show that he had the authority to forgive sins and offer salvation to those who believed in him. Why Did Jesus Ask To Keep His Miracles Secret? ‘Tell No One Of This.’ In the Gospels, there are a few instances where Jesus tells people not to tell others about what he has done for them. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, after Jesus healed a man who was possessed by demons, he told the man, ‘See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a proof to them’ (Matthew 8:4). In this case, it seems that Jesus was concerned that the man’s testimony might not be believed or might be misunderstood, and so he asked him to keep the experience to himself for the time being. It is difficult to say for sure why Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle without knowing the specific context in which the request was made. However, some possible reasons that come to mind include: To avoid drawing unnecessary attention to himself. In the Gospels, Jesus often tries to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, especially from the authorities who are hostile to him. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might be one way of avoiding unwanted attention and allowing Jesus to continue his ministry without interference. To allow the person who was healed to experience the transformation for themselves. In some cases, the person who was healed might have been skeptical or unsure of what had happened to them. Asking them to keep quiet about the miracle might have given them time to reflect on the experience and come to their own understanding of it without being influenced by others. To test the person’s faith. In some cases, Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle as a test of their faith. If they were truly grateful for what Jesus had done for them, they would be willing to follow his instructions and trust that he had a good reason for asking them to keep quiet. These are just a few possible reasons why Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle. It is important to remember that the Gospels are ancient texts and that we must be careful not to impose our own interpretations on them without considering the historical and cultural context in which they were written. To avoid creating conflict or division. In the Gospels, Jesus often encounters people who are skeptical or hostile to his teachings, and he sometimes tries to avoid confrontations with them. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might be one way of avoiding a confrontation or a heated debate that could disrupt his ministry. To avoid being misunderstood or misrepresented. In some cases, the person who was healed might not have understood the full significance of what Jesus had done for them, and they might have tried to explain it in a way that distorted or misrepresented the truth. Asking them to keep quiet might have given Jesus time to explain things to them more fully and help them to understand the true meaning of the miracle. To avoid becoming a spectacle. In the Gospels, there are many instances where people are amazed by the miracles that Jesus performs, and they often try to make him into a kind of celebrity or showman. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might have been one way of avoiding this kind of attention and keeping the focus on the message that Jesus was trying to convey. What Is The Significance Of Miracle Of The Wedding At Cana? In the Christian tradition, the wedding at Cana is significant because it is the first of the miracles performed by Jesus that is recorded in the Gospels of the New Testament. This event is described in the Gospel of John, where it is said that Jesus, along with his mother Mary and his disciples, attended a wedding in the town of Cana. At the wedding, the host ran out of wine, and Mary asked Jesus to help. In response, Jesus turned water into wine, which is seen as a miraculous act that demonstrated his power and authority. In the Gospel of John, after Mary asks Jesus to help with the wine at the wedding in Cana, he replies, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). This statement is often seen as indicating that Jesus was aware […]
Jesus has told Peter that he is to be the chief among the Apostles, the primate of the Church. During the Passion, Peter denied Jesus three times. It is perhaps for this reason that Jesus now gives Peter three opportunities to declare his love for him, three times to atone for his triple denial. Each time, Jesus responds with the command to lead the Church: ‘Feed my lambs… Feed my sheep.’ Peter and his successors are to be shepherds of the whole Church, imitating Jesus as Jesus declared himself to be in the parable of the Good Shepherd [ … ]
Saint Leo considers the Lord’s instruction that Christian justice must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. He frames this not as an expansion of legal detail but as a transformation of motive. The justice of the kingdom is marked by compassion, because mercy reflects the way God has acted toward humanity. Leo recalls the central Christian claim: God restores the guilty not by force of law but by forgiveness. The transition from sin to innocence is not earned but given, and this gift becomes the model for Christian conduct. Justice is therefore fulfilled when believers imitate the divine pattern—allowing mercy to rise above strict judgment [ … ]
