Humility and Conversion

How is it that two similar words can have such vastly different meanings. Humility is nothing like humiliation. Humiliation is imposed by others from without. Humility is cultivated from within.

Humiliation seeks to control, exploit, belittle its victims. Humiliation can destroy the human spirit. Humility is a virtue. It puts aside our ego-driven pride. To be humble is to be grounded. To humble ourselves before the Lord is a form of prayer with faith that God Himself will raise us up as good and faithful servants. C.S. Lewis put it best, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” When we put others ahead of ourselves, this is an act of humility.

This brings me to the subject of Conversion. So often we meet “Christians” who say I believe in Jesus Christ. That’s enough. I don’t need to attend Mass. It’s just not convenient in their schedule to take an hour and spend it in communion with others offering praise and worship to the one who took the time to give us life in the first place. I’m a good Christian. God wants me to take care of my own first. Once I’ve given my family that big house, those amazing vacations, that perfect look at me car, then I’ll worry about the rest of the world. These aren’t bad people. They simply haven’t experienced a true Conversion of Faith yet.

I have always been a Catholic. I have always believed in Christ. But I have not always known a conversion of faith. We are blessed in that Christ gave us an amazing example of both Conversion and Forgiveness in Saint Paul. As Saul, he persecuted the followers of Christ. We know that Saul of Tarus was a Pharisee. He was present during the stoning of Saint Stephen, the first Christian Martyr. His consent to the murder of Stephen went beyond merely being present, Saul approved the stoning. Saul entered house after house of newly converted Christian-Jews, dragging men and women off to prison. While scripture does not say early Christians died directly at his hands, many died in the prisons he sent them to. And yet the Resurrected Christ appeared to this seemingly evil person. The encounter was a life-changing experience. Not only was Saul forgive, Christ chose him to bring the message of faith to others. The Letters of Saint Paul, known as the Epistles, are a significant portion of the New Testament. If Christ could do that with a man once known as Saul, imagine what wonders He can work through us, if we are willing to surrender to a full Conversion of Faith. It hardly means we are suddenly perfect or better than others. No, a Conversion of Faith is a journey. A journey that at times is difficult. It’s not always easy to let go of the person we once were to become the person He wants us to be. And yet this journey of conversion is made in good company. Today we celebrate the Memorial Feast Day of the Conversion of Saint Paul.

Apple and Onion Glazed Hickory Ham
2 teaspoons fresh Thyme
2 Garlic Cloves
1 cup Apple Cider
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
3 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
3 large Red Apples
1 White Onion
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 bone-in Hickory Ham, fully cooked

Heat oven to 325-degrees. Gather all the ingredients.

Snip fresh thyme. Peel and mince garlic, set aside. Add apple cider, Dijon mustard, thyme, garlic, butter, brown sugar and paprika to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Allow to simmer until reduced by about half and thickened. Pour into a bowl to cool and thicken to a better glaze consistency for the ham.

While the apple cider mixture simmers cut apples into quarters, remove core and seeds. Peel onion, cut into quarters. Add the chicken stock, apples and onion pieces to the bottom of a large roasting pan fitted with a wire rack. Place the ham on top of the rack and pat dry with a paper towel. Use a pastry brush to glaze the ham with about half of the glaze.

Loosely cover the ham with foil and bake for 2 hours. Uncover, baste with the rest of the glaze and bake for another 2 hours, or until an internal temperature of 140 degrees is reached in the thickest part of the meat. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Awesome with the usual sides such as AuGratin Potatoes and young peas.

Better Than a Box Au Gratin Potatoes
3 boxes AuGratin Potatoes
2 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Milk
2 cups Boiling Water
3 tablespoons Onion Flakes
1/2 cup Mild Cheddar Cheese
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 450-degrees. Empty freeze-dried potatoes into a casserole dish. Set aside.

Melt butter in a sauce pan with milk. Add onion flakes and cheese. Stir to blend.

In a microwave, heat water. Add cheese packets from the boxed potatoes, whisk until smooth. Pour into the sauce pan, bring to a simmer. Pour cheese mixture over the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, bake for 25 minutes or until soft. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Pearl Onions and Baby Peas
2 cans Peas
2/3 cup frozen Pearl Onions
2 tablespoon Butter

Rinse and drain peas; place in a sauce pan.

Trim ends from frozen pearl onions, remove skins and cut each bulb in half. Add to the peas. Top with butter. Simmer over medium-low heat until warmed through.

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For Christ did not send me to baptize
But to preach the Gospel,
And not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
So that the cross of Christ might not be emptied
Of its meaning.
1 Corinthians 1:17