Have you ever had a good project that didn’t work out the way it was planned? The first reading tells us of a plan King David had that God didn’t go along with. Ever wonder why? I suspect the virtue of humility would be a possible reason. Think of what God had accomplished through David. Yet David began acting like he was responsible for all the accomplishments. We have God reminding him of the fact that it was only with the grace of God that the accomplishments were successful plans. I remember once my mother telling me I was “getting too big for my britches”. How often when we are praised do we thank God first for the grace and opportunity to do his bidding? What would it be like if the first person thanked at the awards ceremony was God? Do we “for ever sing the goodness of the Lord”, for his blessings?
In the Gospel we have the young maiden Mary as a counter to King David. Mary was truly humble as she accepted her mission from God. What a marvelous sense of humility. Are we willing to say yes to God even if it doesn’t make sense?
Countenance of God 