Looking at today' first reading, the message that jumps at you is "All glory and honor to God" Not too long ago, I heard about a man who left the priesthood because he was constantly being placed on a pedestal by people, and no matter what he did, no matter what he said, no matter how he objected, the continued to elevate him and he was most uncomfortable with this, and so he left.

We don't have to look very far to see that ordinary people are constantly being placed on pedestals - people who may be gifted in some way. Athletes like Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods at one time, singers, movie stars, politicians, have been treated and elevated in the minds of millions as if they possessed some supernatural powers; as if they were gods and they are given the glory and honor. They are expected to be 'super-human' and when they fell, many become devastated.

This is pretty much what is happening in the first reading with Paul and Barnabas after they had worked a miracle. They were at Lystra where there was a man crippled and lame from birth, and he had never walked in all his life. The man listened attentively to Paul as he spoke and Paul realizing that he had the faith to be healed, called out to him in a loud voice saying, "Stand up straight on your feet." The man jumped up and began to walk about. Now when the crowds saw what had happened, they cried out in their native language, "The gods have come down to us in human form." The gave the names of gods to Paul and Barnabas and they were going to offer sacrifices to them.

It is interesting to note Paul and Barnabas' response to all this. They did not casually explain, "We're not really gods you know ..." They were so incensed by what the people were about to do that they tore their garments and rushed into the crowd shouting at the top of their voices, "What are you doing?! What are you doing?! We are just ordinary men!" "All glory and honor to God!" Both Paul and Barnabas knew that apart from God, they were nothing and could do nothing, and that all that they did, including the healing of the crippled man was all God's work done in the Name of the risen Jesus Christ. They knew that all glory must be given to God and not to themselves. They knew that the moment they began to claim even the smallest amount of glory unto themselves would mark the start of their demise.

Many years ago, the singer Evie had a very popular song entitled "All The Glory Must Be To The Lord" and words were:

While walking on this earth
We are nothing in ourselves
Yet God's chosen to use us in His mighty hand
For the master plan requires Human instruments
But they must not ever glorify themselves

All the glory must be to the Lord
Only He is worthy all our praise
No one on earth should give glory to himself
For all the glory must be to the Lord

Are we ready to obey Him
When He urges us to go
Are we willing to be nothing
But servants of the cross
In the times of trials and hardship
Or when shining from the top
Are we willing to lay down our lives for Him

All the glory must be to the Lord
Only He is worthy all our praise
No one on earth should give glory to himself
For all the glory must be to the Lord.

Indeed God's master plan requires human instruments who must not glorify themselves. Those human instruments are you and I called to be sign posts that point to God. With the zeal of Paul and Barnabas in today's first reading, let us rush into our world making ourselves available to be used by God for the glory of His most Holy Name.