Reflection for Wednesday July 15 Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: Matthew 11:25-27

Gospel: Matthew 11:25-27

At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.  

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

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Reflection:

The story is told of a man who was deeply sincere in his desire to know God. To fulfill this longing, he read every book he could find about God. Yet, the more he filled his mind with knowledge, the more distant God seemed to become. Confused and searching for answers, he sought the counsel of a wise man.

The wise man gently said, "Your dilemma is simple. As you become more learned about God, you must also become more humble. Let the knowledge you gain from your reading sink into your heart, not just remain in your head."

This wise advice reminds us that knowing about God is not the same as truly knowing Him. We may spend countless hours reading Scripture, studying spiritual books, or listening to inspiring talks, but if our hearts are not transformed by humility, we may miss the very God we seek. Knowledge can enlighten our minds, but only humility opens our hearts to God's presence and allows His grace to take root within us.

Do we desire to experience more deeply the loving presence and movement of God in our lives? The key is childlike humility. The more we humble ourselves before God, the more we recognize our need for Him, trust in His wisdom, and welcome His abundant graces. Like little children who depend completely on their loving father, we are invited to surrender our pride, our self-sufficiency, and our desire to rely solely on our own understanding.

Jesus Himself gives us the perfect example. Whenever He prayed to the Father, He approached Him with complete humility, love, and obedience. Although He is the Son of God, He never sought His own glory but always fulfilled the Father's will. If Jesus embraced humility in His relationship with the Father, how much more should we?

May we never allow knowledge to inflate our pride but instead let it deepen our love for God and for others. Let every truth we learn draw us closer to Christ, shape our hearts, and inspire us to live with greater faith, obedience, and compassion. For it is not merely what we know about God that transforms us, but how humbly we allow Him to transform us from within.

Today, let us ask ourselves: Are we simply filling our minds with knowledge about God, or are we humbly opening our hearts so that we may truly know Him, love Him, and allow Him to transform our lives each day?-Marino J. Dasmarinas