Not Seeking the First Place
Since our Lord Jesus Christ has deigned to teach us not to take the first place … who will ever have the courage to seek after honor and dignities of any sort whatsoever? (OOCC, VIII, p. 288; SD, p. 20)
St. Vincent Pallotti was a very humble person. He never sought distinctions, honors, or positions of importance. He always felt that all other persons were more important than he was. St. Vincent lived the teaching of Jesus about not taking the first place both in letter and spirit. Not choosing the first place, for St. Vincent, meant that he put aside the importance he gave to his intellect, will, learning, positions he held, honors that were given to him, and humbly surrendered himself before God. In other words, it meant that in every situation he preferred others and God rather than himself. St. Vincent often expressed this sentiment in his prayers. He wanted his followers to live the spirit of this teaching of Jesus. In order to cultivate this spirit in his followers, he asked the members of his community not to accept any ecclesiastical dignities, and to live their life in the spirit of service. He reminded them of Jesus’ condemnation of the attitude of the Pharisees who sought for themselves the places of honor in the synagogues and other places. St. Vincent also set before his followers the example of Jesus, who never sought himself, but always attempted to seek God and his plan for humankind. In Jesus’ life he constantly preferred his Father and the people to whom he was sent to preach the good news. St. Vincent wanted his followers to live a life in which they preferred not themselves, but God and others. When they lived such a life in imitation of Jesus, they would not seek for themselves the place of honor.
Do I seek the first place for myself in my day to day living? What does it mean to me to deny for myself the first place, in the context of my every day living? Do I prefer God and others to myself? Do I imitate Jesus’ self- surrender to the Father, which made him choose God and others rather than himself?
He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Mt. 23: 11)