"Say to Daughter Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"  Mt 21:5

We’ve heard the story so many times that we fail to be shocked by it, but it is a stunning fact that our Lord, Almighty God, HUMBLED himself to live among us.  He arrived in the most unassuming way, as a helpless baby, born in a stable, and raised by human parents who lived simply, worked hard, and practiced their faith devoutly.  Even when he was hailed as a king, he remained meek, riding a plain and unpretentious donkey. 

Jesus, in stewarding his life on earth with humility, gave us an example of greatness that is modest, unselfish, and other-oriented.

We do well to contemplate this, especially at a time in our world when our autonomy and dominion are challenged by an enemy we cannot even see.  What could be more humbling than being asked to sacrifice some personal liberty for the greater good?  Yet, God Himself did just that.  God, Himself sacrificed his very life! 

This enemy that we cannot see may teach us a  humility that we cannot fathom—if we are willing to learn. 

Like a spiritual diet, we are fasting from many things we enjoy in order to maintain the health and wellbeing of others as well as ourselves.  Prayer and humility can help us lift these hardships from annoying inconvenience to life-giving sacrifice.  Let us look to the example of Jesus and ask what we can do to help those whose need is even greater than our own.  Let us grow spiritually as we endure communally.  Let us join our sacrifices to those of Christ, embracing our role as humble stewards whose Lord ennobled humility as he meekly accepted even death on a cross.