FAUSTO GOMEZ OP
The Fathers of the Desert tell us repeatedly that the path to perfection begins with fighting and expelling vices, to be followed by practicing virtues, and crowning it with the intimate union with God in grace and love, and thus acquire purity of heart or holiness. Later on, the saints and particularly the mystics invite us to fight and expel our vices by practicing the corresponding virtues. How to fight the number one vice, that is, pride? Let us find the answer in the Sacred Scriptures and Christian Tradition, and in the life of Jesus, with the examples of Mary and saints.
We fight pride by practicing humility: to be humble – humble of heart – is not to be proud. “What is the meaning of being humble? Not praising oneself; he who wants to praise himself is proud; he who is not proud is humble. (St.Augustine, Ena. in Ps.)
We all know that there is pride, and there is even the proud humility of those who think themselves as humble. “True humility does not make a show of itself and hardly speaks in a humble way. It not only wants to conceal all other virtues but most of all it wants to conceal itself” (St. Francis of Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life).
Unfeigned humility expels pride, its opposing vice. “Humility is the crown of all virtues, and it is necessary if we are to please God; pride spoils all” (Charles de Foucauld; cf. Lk 18:11). The classical saying in Latin says it well: Homo humus, fama fumus, finis cinis‘ – “Man is dust, fame is smoke, the end is ashes.” “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?” (1 Cor 4:7). Thus, “The first step of humility is recognizing that we do not have it” (Jacques Philippe, Meditation on the Beatitudes).
Why should I consider myself inferior to others? St. Thomas answers: In ourselves, we have something that belongs to us, and something that belongs to God; what is ours is really nothing; what is God’s is everything. How do we consider ourselves inferior to others? By considering in them what they have from God, and by considering in ourselves what we have from us; in them, we see that they are children of God; in us, we see our sinfulness and unworthiness. (St. Thomas Aquinas).
Be humble. “A humble and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps 51:17); “And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for ‘God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble’” 1 Pet 5:5; cf. Jas 4:10). St. Paul tells us: “Do nothing for selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own, but to the interests of others” Phil 2:3-4).
How to be humble? The Prophet Micah answers: “He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic 6:8). We learn and experience humility by following and imitating Jesus, whowas humble: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29); “I am in the midst of you as one who serves” (Lk 22:27). Jesus is ontologically humble (in being): “The Word was made flesh and lived among us” (Jn 1:14). And ethically humble (in action): humble in the crib, in his hidden life in Nazareth, through his public life; through his passion and death on the cross; in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus preached humility to his disciples (cf. Lk 14:1, 7-11).
The donkey which our Lord was riding on Palm Sunday may have been proud, perhaps thinking – if he could – that the acclamations of the people were for him. Once a journalist asked St. Teresa of Kolkata a memorable question: “People applaud you a lot, do you like it or take it with indifference?” She answered: “I like it very much. I remember Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey; I am a happy donkey carrying Jesus; the hosannas are for Him!”
The followers of Jesus ought to imitate his humility. All the saints were radically humble. Mary was very humble: Fiat, let it be, “I am the servant of the Lord!” (Lk 1:38). Her Magnificat is not just a lovely prayer, but a revolutionary hymn that exults God in the lowly, the humble (cf. Lk 1:46-55). “Do you want to follow Christ? Be humble as He was” (St. Caesarius of Arles).
The great value of humility: “Believe me, in the presence of infinite wisdom, a little study of humility and one act of humility is worth more than all the knowledge of the world” (St. Teresa of Avila, Life). “All the visions, revelations and feelings of heaven… are not as valuable as the smallest act of humility” (St. John of the Cross, Ascent to Mount Carmel).
Authors of spirituality speak of two interconnected sources of humility. The first source is a humility that comes from human experience, from our limitations, our sufferings, our weaknesses – from our humiliations. The second source of humility is a humility that comes from our experience of God, from divine grace. Indeed, “God gives his grace to the humble” (Prov 3:34). What is radically important is to submit to God as Creator and Father, to be dependent upon Him, to trust Him.
Words to ponder: “Christian humility does not consist in bowing heads and in bent necks, but in knowing that we must bend our heart through repentance so that our faith be not poor, our hope not lame, and our love blind… Humility is not masochism, but the just knowledge of oneself to occupy the proper place” (Andrés Prado).
As always, fidelity to prayer is most helpful towards achieving true humility: “For you, [O Lord], deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down” (Ps 18:27).
(Image: geralt@pixabay.com)
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