NOTHINGNESS

SCRUTATIO SCRIPTURAE

NOTHINGNESS

A Scrutatio for the 11th Sunday of the CHRISTIAN SEASON OF ORDINARY TIME/TIME OF THE CHURCH

Readings from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer

Ecclesiastes 1:12-14, 2:1-7, 11 and 18-23 / Psalm 49 / Colossians 3:5-17 / Luke 12:13-21

Readings for the Pauline/Vatican II Rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

Ecclesiastes 1:2 and 2:21-23 / Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14+17. / Colossians 3:1-5 and 9-11 / Luke 12:13-21

Readings for the Tridentine Rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

 Introit: Psalm 68:5-6, 35 and 1 

Epistle: I Corinthians 15:1-10

Gradual and Alleluia: Psalm 28:7, 1 and 81:1-2

Gospel 

Mark 7:31-37

Offertory:

Psalm 30:1-2

Communion Antiphon: Proverbs 30:9-10

For today's SCRUTATIO, I will be silent and let the Great Saint of ordinary Life, Monisgnor Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer y Albas, share with us this INSPRIED THOUGHTS of his:

“TO KNOW ONESELF TO BE NOTHING BEFORE GOD”

It is a great thing to know oneself to be nothing before God, because that is how things are. (Furrow, 260)

St John tells us that the other enemy is the lust of the eyes, a deep‑seated avariciousness that leads us to appreciate only what we can touch. Such eyes are glued to earthly things and, consequently, they are blind to supernatural realities. We can, then, use this expression of sacred Scripture to indicate that disordered desire for material things, as well as that deformation which views everything around us — other people, the circumstances of our life and of our age — with just human vision.

Then the eyes of our soul grow dull. Reason proclaims itself sufficient to understand everything, without the aid of God. This is a subtle temptation, which hides behind the power of our intellect, given by our Father God to man so that he might know and love him freely. Seduced by this temptation, the human mind appoints itself the centre of the universe, being thrilled with the prospect that “you shall be like gods” [1]. So filled with love for itself, it turns its back on the love of God…

The fight against pride has to be a constant battle, to such an extent that someone once said that pride only disappears twenty‑four hours after each of us has died. It is the arrogance of the Pharisee whom God cannot transform because he finds in him the obstacle of self-sufficiency. It is the haughtiness which leads to despising other men, to lording it over them, to mistreating them. For “when pride comes, then comes disgrace” [2]. (Christ is passing by, 6). 

[1] Gen 3:5

[2] Prov 11:2