Know Thyself

+JMJ+

On Thursday I helped moderate our Chicago Spirit and Truth. Since our guest speaker was unable to make it, I had been instructed to play a conference given by Mother Nadine from the Intercessors of the Lamb. I chose a CD with a talk entitled "Seat of Wisdom" on it, since I knew it would be about Our Lady.

Essentially what Mother Nadine discussed was how Our Lady is the personification of the Beatitudes. There is no virtue that she, in her human state, does not excel at, she is truly the school of virtue.

One point that Mother made which screamed out to me regarded Mary's humility. Mary was humble before the Creator, and she allowed Him to reveal to her WHO she WAS. Mary didn't "choose her destiny" like one of the Disney Princesses. She embraced the purpose for which she was created. She didn't need to go looking for who she was, because her identity was innate...

Because she allowed God the time, space and silence to reveal to her WHO she WAS, Mary was able to embrace fully, joyfully her mission.

Today one might say the culture crisis is truly a crisis of identity. Nobody knows who they are. Constantly seeking for our 'purpose', we fail to turn to the One who created us. Seldom do people ask the Heavenly Father "Who am I?" "For what purpose did You create me?" Our seeking is centered on self-satisfaction, not true self-knowledge...not truth.

When we are not asking God who we are...the enemy of our hearts sneaks in, and in his cunning deception whispers false ideas about who we are. His deception is so delicate, for often what he tells is is a distorted version of what God desires for us--all that is good, true and beautiful.

I just finished a little book about the virtue of humility. The priest who wrote this gem talks about how God so loved Mary not for her virginity or purity, but for her humility--for her ability to recognize who she was, a daughter of God...and in that recognition embrace her identity. Truly, her virginity was a fruit of her humility.

Ask yourself today: "Who am I? Do I know myself?"

If you can't honestly answer these questions...it is truly time to start thinking about them, praying about them...and taking them directly to the Father.