what humility really is

 

Today we read from Isaiah 57:15-59:21. God tells us very clearly that He lives in "the high and lofty place", which we assume is heaven, with "those whose spirits are contrite and humble."

We read time and again throughout the Bible that God hears the cry of the poor, that He is close to the downtrodden and brokenhearted. In this passage, He says, "I restore the crushed spirit of the humble, and revive the courage of those who repentant hearts."

What IS humility? Apparently it's something that God really likes. Mother Teresa (now St Teresa of Calcutta) said that, "Humility is the mother of all virtues: purity, charity, and obedience. It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted, and ardent. If you are humble, nothing will touch you: neither praise nor disgrace, because YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE."

Another saintly Theresa, this time St Theresa of Avila, said that "Humility is truth. It is becoming aware of and accepting the truth of who we are. Self-awareness and self-acceptance lie at the heart of the process" of becoming humble.

So you see that humility is not putting yourself down, ignoring your gifts and strengths, or thinking you're a horrible worm that deserves nothing. Humility is reality. It is the TRUTH of who we are, strengths and weaknesses combined.

Here is a wonderful prayer by a third and final Therese, St Therese of Liseux. Her entire life was about being humble: she considered her path to be the "little way" which has humility built right into it. Here is her prayer, which we can all pray together and with which I conclude this blog post.

"O loving and gracious Infant Jesus, how full of love for us poor mortals is Thy divine heart! The fire of Thy love is burning day and night, emitting sparks of grace in the shape of countless benefits, showered on all men, even the greatest sinners. In order to comprehend the greatness of Thy heart, one would have to possess the love and wisdom of Thy dear Mother, of St Joseph, or of Thy most devoted worshiper Father Cyril. How cold is my heart toward Thee; filled as it is with temporal and earthly concerns and the greatest self-love, there is no room left for a heroic love of God and my neighbor. What a miserable and wretched being I am! Thou, infinite majesty itself, most holy and most perfect, art most humble of heart; I, wretchedness and sin, am proud and conceited, and therefore also without peace of heart. Thou shouldst verily turn away Thy beautiful countenance from me, because I possess so little virtue. 

And yet I consider myself better than others, and even venture to criticize and belittle them! I know my own misery, and still I expect to be esteemed and praised, and even preferred to others! The least humiliation and neglect on the part of others pains me, and Thou art so humble, so forbearing, and so patient with the children of men! Divine Heart of my most loving Jesus infuse into me true humility and a right knowledge of myself, so that I may deserve to find one day favor in Thy sight. Give me grace to be humble and simple like a child, if I wish to go to the Father. Amen."