Well, wouldn’t you know it!

I spent my morning praying about humility, slowing down, and not trying to do everything myself. And then, while putting this reflection together, I realized something.

I READ THE WRONG DAY’S READINGS!

Yep. I use the St. Paul Daily Missal for my morning Scripture readings, and somehow, flipping through the pages after All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, I ended up reading the ordinary Monday readings instead of Tuesday’s.

And here’s the funny part. One of the things I recognized in prayer this morning was that I’ve been moving too fast, trying to juggle too many things, and not slowing down enough to listen.

Talk about getting a lesson in humility!

But I’m not throwing away what I received in prayer this morning. These readings spoke volumes to me.

So here’s my reflection on the wrong readings for today… but maybe the right readings for me today.

Paul tells us to look out not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Think about how much that goes against what the world teaches us.

Look out for number one. Make sure you get yours. Don’t let anybody take advantage of you.

Talk about going against the grain!

Humility can be so hard, yet so rewarding.

I think we can start out with the best intentions. We want to help people. We want to serve. We give our time, work hard, and sometimes wear ourselves out doing things for others.

But then pride can sneak in.

We start thinking, “I’ve busted my butt doing all this. When is somebody going to return the favor? When do I get a break? What’s in it for me?”

And notice where we get off track…

I.

That little word can cause us so much trouble.

Now, I love serving others. And for me, it’s usually not about recognition or expecting something in return. But I have my own struggle with pride. Sometimes I take pride in how much I can juggle, how many responsibilities I can handle, and how much I can get done.

I can handle it. I can get it done. I can take care of everything.

There’s that word again. I.

And here’s something that struck me as I prayed about this. I know I’m not God. Of course I know that! But sometimes I sure act like I don’t.

And then I came to Psalm 131.

I think this may be becoming one of my favorite Psalms. It’s only three verses long, but boy, there’s a lot in there.

When I read about the psalmist stilling and quieting his soul, I felt a sense of peace, but also a longing. A longing to have that kind of peace myself.

And the image of a weaned child resting with its mother really caught my attention. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but there was something beautiful about it. So much so that I had to spend some time researching what it meant.

And wouldn’t you know it, Pope Benedict XVI gave a beautiful reflection on this very Psalm.

He explained that a weaned child no longer goes to its mother simply to be fed. The child has grown beyond that. Now there’s a deeper relationship, one of love and trust.

Think about a little child sitting peacefully in its mother’s lap.

The child doesn’t have to understand everything going on around it. It doesn’t have to solve anything. It doesn’t have to prove anything.

It just trusts.

And isn’t that what we should want with God?

Not just going to Him when we need something. Not just asking Him to help us accomplish everything we’ve got going on.

But simply resting in His presence because we love Him and trust Him.

Boy, I want that.

Yesterday, looking back on my day, I realized I had been moving so fast that I wasn’t slowing down enough to listen.

And wouldn’t you know it, even while trying to put this reflection together, I caught myself doing something similar. I kept trying to make it go where I thought it needed to go. Something just didn’t feel right. I finally had to stop, slow down, and return to what I had actually received in prayer.

There’s that little word again. I.

Maybe that’s where these readings come together for me.

Humility isn’t just about putting others before ourselves. It’s also recognizing that we aren’t God. We don’t have to control everything, accomplish everything, or carry everything ourselves.

And maybe the peace I’m longing for doesn’t come from getting everything done, even when those are good things.

Maybe it comes from trusting God enough to sit quietly in His presence, like that little child resting in its mother’s arms.

Not because everything is finished.

Not because all my worries are gone.

But because I know Who is holding me.

So my prayer today is simple.

Lord, help me live humbly. Help me recognize when that little word “I” is getting in the way. Help me serve others because You call me to serve, not because I think everything depends on me. And Lord, help me trust You enough to still my soul.

I may go back later today, maybe at lunch, and pray with the readings I was supposed to read this morning. And if I don’t get to them, that’s okay too. It doesn’t change what I received from Scripture today.

Maybe I needed to slow down enough to hear this.

Can you put aside everything you think you need to accomplish and simply rest in God’s presence, trusting Him to take care of what you cannot?

I pray you get the graces you need today.

Keep up the good fight.

I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.

Scripture I prayed with today: Philippians 2:1-4 | Psalm 131:1bcde, 2, 3 | Luke 14:12-14

Note: These are the ordinary Monday readings in my missal, not the readings for All Souls’ Day. If you’re looking them up in a Bible app, I’ve included the references above so you can read them yourself.

Further reading: Pope Benedict XVI, “My Heart Is Not Proud!”, General Audience, August 10, 2005.