Course XLVII - Teaching 14: About Vanity (March 24th, 1956)

In the Holy Gospels we read that when Jesus was preaching and healing, Mary, mother of the Zebedee’s children came with her sons to the mountain in which the Master was, and prostrated before him and worshipping him she said, “Grant that these my two sons sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom”. Jesus looked at her and said, “Shall they be able to drink the cup that I shall drink of?”
Always it occurs likewise. We give up to all, believing that we are somehow spiritually entitled to divine graces to because we are called. If we are certainly called, our right is divine, but we continue to be human. Let us remember Gandhi’s words: “Men are men forever; institutions are valuable”. Ordination is sublime par excellence, but we are human.
Vanity makes spiritual beings feel higher than and different from the rest of men. But let us remember that our Ordination is worth as a right that transforms human beings into gods on Earth, gives us a supernatural power, and fills us with graces, but on this condition: “I continue to be a poor man, a despicable little worm”. How sad it is to see priestly souls being proud of their spirituality.
As I said, today at every church of La Plata city they read a Pastoral on which the Bishop dares to say that this “plague” (the infantile paralysis) occurred because people does not respect priests.
Is it possible that this spiritual pride separates the human beings to such an extent that these bad and poor priests feel higher than the rest of men, and blame on innocent people this human disease? Poor priests! This poor priest (because we should feel sorry for him) mistakes his human condition for his office, and believes that we owe him something. Beware, Sons, not to make the same mistake! We are only entitled to suffering; they can slander, condemn, or despise us. This is glory indeed, and confirms our Ordination offering, that of being Sons, and priests in blood.
The Mother does not wish us to be killed; she just wants our blood to fill the offering cup drop by drop. To suffer and to be despised is our glory, as Saint John of the Cross said.
The Church’s doctrine is pure, but men have spoiled it. The Church uses fear to tyrannize. The worst tyranny is the spiritual one. Because as long as a social tyranny removes and limits any material freedom, a spiritual tyranny kills the soul.
We need priestly souls; we have a lot of wheat, but the workers are some few. In fact, there are few true priests, true directors of souls, confirmed by their pain and blood. Pain confirms our Ordination. We should not believe that because we are Ordained, we remain free of calamities and sufferings. This would be the greatest separateness. They have to say about us: How is it that so good people are standing so many things!
I wonder: “Shall you be able to drink the cup of the Lord?”.