Naked Before God

September 27, Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
Daily Readings: Ezra 9:5–9, Luke 9:1-6

During the Good Friday Liturgy and the Rite of Ordination to the Sacred Orders, priests and bishops perform a unique action called proskynesis. They prostrated on the ground with their heads facing the earth. This gesture shows a person’s utmost humility before God. It is man’s admission before the glory of the Lord that we are nothing but people wretched in sin.

In the First Reading, we see Prophet Ezra embracing his sinfulness: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven.” (9:6) He saw himself as someone underserving even the Lord’s gaze because of his wrongful ways.

And yet, he recognized that the Lord’s mercy still came to him, raised them out of their servitude, and gave them new life. This assures us of one simple fact about the love of God: He will never stop looking after us, even if we keep falling into temptation.

On the other hand, the Gospel narrates how the Lord sent out his apostles “to cure diseases” and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:2) However, He commended them to “take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick nor sack, nor food nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.” (Luke 9:3) This reflects the way of kenosis—the emptying of oneself. The more the apostles let go of their dependency on material things, the deeper the grace they received through their Master, who imparted to them His miraculous powers.

In times of our sinfulness, God does not hesitate to welcome us into His care with open arms. The more we embrace nothingness, the more God goes all out on nourish us with spiritual gifts and His immeasurable mercy. Do not be afraid of hitting your lowest points; the Lord provides.