November 20, 2006
One of our friars here at Most Blessed Sacrament Friary recently received a fax inviting him to be listed in the “Who’s Who” directory at the National Library of Congress. The friar didn’t think much of it, presuming it was a ploy of some sort to get more information for somebody’s mailing list or perhaps just a gimmick to get people later on to buy the book with their name in it. The apparent criteria given for distinguishing a “who’s who” from a “who’s that” in the invitation mostly related to people in corporate positions of responsibility.
The Book of Life, that we hope to have our name in, on the other hand, has a very different sort of criteria. The names in largest letters will be those who sought to be the least noticed in this life. Our Lady proclaimed so truthfully in her Magnificat that “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.” She was in fact assumed into Heaven because of her humility.
In his classic book, Progress Through Mental Prayer, Fr. Edward Leen writes, “We can never know if God shall realize His purpose in us through keeping us hidden or bringing us into light. The soul that seeks to be perfect must consent to be nothing, that is, to be held as nobody…. Self-advertisement was the temptation of Jesus to throw Himself off the parapet of the Temple and even to the end on the Cross when the hecklers said they would believe in Him if He came down off the Cross.” It is no surprise that self-advertisement continues to be an occupational temptation for those who are seeking to follow in His footsteps.
I remember reading a story about a brilliant scientist whose lab discovered a cure for a disease. The London Times reported his discovery, but later it was disclosed that someone on his staff had actually made the discovery. When that person was asked if they resented the famous scientist getting the credit, he replied, “It doesn’t matter who gets the credit, as long as those in need get the cure.”
That’s the right attitude for the Book of Life.
Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR
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