Purgamenta Mundi | The scum of the world

"When we are slandered, we reply as friends; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now" — 1 Cor 6:13 (NASB) 

Our reflection for today, is taken from 1 Corinthians 4:6-13 - An invitation to be humble. "Do not go beyond what is written, lest any of you boast by giving priority to one over the other." (1 Cor 6:6). It invites us to always be humble because there is nothing that we should be proud of that comes from ourselves. 

We should be grateful for all that we receive. The breath of life that we breathe every day - if God wants to take it away then our lives will end. How often do we give thanks for being able to breathe? If we still don't realize it, our relationship with God is still quite far away. We need to return to see God's love and mercy in the midst of our daily works. 

In Verse 13, Saint Paul sharpens his humility in the words "we have become like the dregs of the world, like the filth of all things until now". Only with humility we can grasp the grace we need from God. Pride closes all doors of goodness. Pride distances us from others and also distances our hearts from God. With pride, we create strong walls and fortress to guard ourselves against the friendliness and kindness of others. 

Are we able to go on living alone and not need other people in our daily lives? If we are not, so humble ourselves and draw closer to the source of mercy so that we are always be blessed with abundant love from the source that God has provided. Amen

 

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 4:6-13 by Sr. Yanti Purnawati SFSC 

(Listen to the Podcast here)