We all remember the country and Western song : ‘O Lord it’s
so hard to be humble, when you’re perfect
in every way!’
Today’s readings remind of us the importance of humility in
all things, and especially in our attitude towards God and others. I remember once entering a clerical setting,
asking if a seat was taken, being quoted the line from a now deceased bishop
(of another diocese): ‘We’re all equal here, form me right down to you’. Even
in clerical circles, places of seniority are still important to some.
The place settings at weddings are fraught with meticulous
planning and seating arrangements carefully stage managed so that people can
get along. So it less likely that the scenario in the Gospel might emerge.
Pope Francis is a great example of humility and consistently
amazes us at is simplicity and his humility, in paying the hotel bill where he
had stayed in the conclave, after becoming Pope, living in humbler
accommodation, in bowing his head and asking for OUR prayers and blessing
before he blessed us after his election, in his insistence on simpler and
humbler living for the clergy, in preparing his own meals and rarely if ever
eating out as a Cardinal, in riding in the bus with the other cardinals after
his election. He is a messenger from God in this setting of an example in our
times.
St Therese, the Little Flower, said that ‘Humility is truth
and the truth, humility.’
It is in other words the whole unvarnished truth about
oneself, with warts and imperfections, but also with unique strengths, gifts,
talents and abilities that are unique, irreplaceable and ready to be used and
perfected and perhaps even with some waiting to be discovered. We are called to
be the best version of ourselves.
Another definition of humility is ‘not to think less of
ourselves, but to think of ourselves less.’ Not to be the centre of attention or looking
for it when others have it. Also to give greater consideration to others’
feelings than our own in a given social situation.
It is recognising that we do have God-given talents, and when
successful with them to always remember precisely that, they are given by God
to be used and harnessed for the good of others and so that God may get some if
not all of the glory!
We all love the thrill of attention, fame, celebrity and
renown, but we can fall into its addictive nature or instead we find the
attention rather embarrassing. We see
how personalities and celebrities seek notice in outrageous ways, and there is
some truth in the Hollywood maxim, that ‘there is only one thing worse than
being talked about, and that is not being talked about!’
We must be careful with success and remember that it is
precarious and temporary. When Roman generals returned in triumph from battle
they rode in a single chariot, were accompanied by a slave who held the wreath
of victory over their heads, but who also whispered amidst the adulation of the
cheering crowds ‘remember you are but a
man’.
The greatest example of humility is our Lord Himself: ‘Christ
emptied himself...Christ was humbler yet, even to the point of accepting death,
death on a cross.’
And it is the way of the cross that we too must follow, but choosing
and accepting apparent failure and weakness in worldly terms that comes from
self-denial, accepting and living out our duties and accepting the crosses,
trials and disappointments in life in ‘this valley of tears’ leads ultimately to
eternal success.
‘Those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
