The Book of the prophet Ezekiel concludes with a final vision, in which Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord rise in the East and enter the temple in Jerusalem. A divine proclamation is made that the Jerusalem temple is the place for God’s seat and the soles of His feet (Cf Ezekiel 43:1-7). God sits upon the cherubim throne and rests His feet upon the ark. Out of humility, during this vision, Ezekiel prostrates himself upon the ground. Hundreds of years later, at the house of Martha and Mary, Mary, likewise chose a humble posture, taking a seat at Christ’s divine feet.
St. Ignatius Loyola, in the Spiritual Exercises, tells retreatants to make use of various postures: “I will enter upon the meditation, now kneeling, now prostrate upon the ground, now lying face upwards, now seated, now standing, always being intent on seeking what I desire” (SpEx 76). Sometimes a more humble posture, such as kneeling or prostration is called for. Whenever Pope John Paul II descended from an airplane after a flight, he would humbly lower his lips to the ground and give it a kiss. You, too, might wish to lower your face to the earth from time to time, seeking the Lord’s blessing. Your head is the noblest and loftiest part of your body, but can it ever reach as high as the soles of God’s feet? Yes, but only by humility.