There is
probably no greater summary of our faith, than that which we hear in our Gospel
today: “The one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles
himself will be exalted.”
Because what that means, as C.S. Lewis once put it: “is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” In fact, that is the way our Gospel ends, with the reminder that the mark of true humility is inviting those whom we know can never repay us, inviting those who may try our patience, but, doing so, not out of a sake of obligation or recognition, but, rather, a knowledge that our lives are not our own, but God’s and it is He who, ultimately, works through us.
In fact, whenever anyone describes a saint or someone who is truly holy, usually one of the first things they say about that person is how humble they are, that they forget themselves, and, in fact, that is a great way of explaining it, because when we forget, it is unintentional, there is nothing about ourselves that gets in the way.
That is why, oftentimes, our desires in this world so strongly conflict with the desires of God, because, humility, true humility is a challenge, it ignores the promises of fame, fortune, success and popularity and, instead, embraces any opportunity for the opposite.
St. John Vianney, in fact, a very holy and humble priest relates the fact that one time he received two letters, one that praised him and lauded him as a saint and the other that accused him of being insincere and a hypocrite. He said: “The letter of praise gave me nothing. The letter of criticism took nothing from me. I am what I am in the eyes of God and nothing more,” he says. It is no wonder that his greatest desire in life was to lose himself and to never find himself except in God.
Yet, that is the true essence of humility, it is not just what the saints practiced, it is how they lived, they lived with one desire and that desire was to please God, in spite of what that meant. They saw all their persecutions, all their false accusations, all their ridicule not as an insult but as a test from God, a test for them to truly see if they trusted Him beyond themselves, if they trusted Him in spite of themselves.
It was St. Augustine who put it well, he said: “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” That is what makes the saints so amazing, that is why even demons flee at the sight of Mary, because their pride cannot compare to a humble soul.
Yet, God would never ask of us what, He, Himself had never practiced, which is why if the very act of Him becoming man was not humble enough, He allows Himself to dwell upon this altar and in that tabernacle and in our hearts, every single day, not just, spiritually, but physically as well.
Is there any greater act of humility than that? Jesus, Himself comes to dwell within us, Jesus Himself, God Incarnate, inviting us all, as in our Gospel, to approach Him, to receive Him, so that we can be changed by Him.
God, who created us, redeemed us and seeks to sanctify us dwells upon that altar. A single saint, Mary herself even, cannot compare to the greatest of humility, the humility of God Himself.
Therefore, let us all seek to practice the same, let us all desire humility, true humility in our lives, knowing that, by doing so, we decrease the more Christ increases within us. For, as St. Faustina beautifully put it, and with whom I leave you with today: “Nothing is difficult for the humble.”
Because what that means, as C.S. Lewis once put it: “is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” In fact, that is the way our Gospel ends, with the reminder that the mark of true humility is inviting those whom we know can never repay us, inviting those who may try our patience, but, doing so, not out of a sake of obligation or recognition, but, rather, a knowledge that our lives are not our own, but God’s and it is He who, ultimately, works through us.
In fact, whenever anyone describes a saint or someone who is truly holy, usually one of the first things they say about that person is how humble they are, that they forget themselves, and, in fact, that is a great way of explaining it, because when we forget, it is unintentional, there is nothing about ourselves that gets in the way.
That is why, oftentimes, our desires in this world so strongly conflict with the desires of God, because, humility, true humility is a challenge, it ignores the promises of fame, fortune, success and popularity and, instead, embraces any opportunity for the opposite.
St. John Vianney, in fact, a very holy and humble priest relates the fact that one time he received two letters, one that praised him and lauded him as a saint and the other that accused him of being insincere and a hypocrite. He said: “The letter of praise gave me nothing. The letter of criticism took nothing from me. I am what I am in the eyes of God and nothing more,” he says. It is no wonder that his greatest desire in life was to lose himself and to never find himself except in God.
Yet, that is the true essence of humility, it is not just what the saints practiced, it is how they lived, they lived with one desire and that desire was to please God, in spite of what that meant. They saw all their persecutions, all their false accusations, all their ridicule not as an insult but as a test from God, a test for them to truly see if they trusted Him beyond themselves, if they trusted Him in spite of themselves.
It was St. Augustine who put it well, he said: “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” That is what makes the saints so amazing, that is why even demons flee at the sight of Mary, because their pride cannot compare to a humble soul.
Yet, God would never ask of us what, He, Himself had never practiced, which is why if the very act of Him becoming man was not humble enough, He allows Himself to dwell upon this altar and in that tabernacle and in our hearts, every single day, not just, spiritually, but physically as well.
Is there any greater act of humility than that? Jesus, Himself comes to dwell within us, Jesus Himself, God Incarnate, inviting us all, as in our Gospel, to approach Him, to receive Him, so that we can be changed by Him.
God, who created us, redeemed us and seeks to sanctify us dwells upon that altar. A single saint, Mary herself even, cannot compare to the greatest of humility, the humility of God Himself.
Therefore, let us all seek to practice the same, let us all desire humility, true humility in our lives, knowing that, by doing so, we decrease the more Christ increases within us. For, as St. Faustina beautifully put it, and with whom I leave you with today: “Nothing is difficult for the humble.”
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