Lord, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and
follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Today we are taught about “humility” and “grace”, and their relation to
each other. The readings for Trinity XI also treated the subject of humility,
but there we were shown examples of humility toward God in the character
of St. Paul and in the prayer of the publican. Today we learn the harder
lesson of humility in our dealings with men.
The Epistle tells us that we are to walk in a way worthy of our vocation,
with all lowliness, meekness, long-suffering and forbearing one another
in love. Lowly in himself, the Christian will be meek towards others, careful
of offending them. We will be patient, forbearing and forgiving when someone
sins against us. Pride, harshness and the bearing of a grudge have no place
in the Christian’s character. Today’s Gospel continues the theme of humility,
concluding: “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
The Collect begs God’s grace to prevent us (that is, “go before”
us), and follow us. Recalling the use of the word “grace” in II Corinthians
8. 9, shows us how grace is related to the humility described in the Epistle
and Gospel: “ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he
was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.” In other words, you
know how great a favour and kindness he did us, in humbling himself to
become mar and to suffer the death of the cross. As St. Paul says in Philippians
2. 5, 8: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who...being
found in fashion as a man...humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.”
If we are to follow the example of our Blessed Lord and humble ourselves
before others and do “good works” with all lowliness and meekness, we need
the grace of God to work within us. Thus, on a Sunday when our Eucharistic
readings emphasize humility and good works, we pray in the Collect for
the grace of God to surround us.
We need God’s grace to go before us to prompt us with right desires,
to give us opportunity to do good for others, and to guide us that we may
be able to complete what we begin. We need God’s grace ever behind us to
urge us on that we may not fall, to support us when we fail, to guard us
from unseen enemies, and to bless our works with good results.
