If humility meant making sure you stayed in the shadows of life, not doing anything worthwhile, avoiding the praise of others, then it would be simple. But humility has nothing to do with any of that. We don’t become humble by doing humble things. We become humble by accepting who we are in the sight of God and then living out of that acceptance.
Humility is tricky. You might think you’re humble, when all you are is timid and fearful. Now wouldn’t that be a shame? You spend your whole life thinking how great it is that you are humble, only to discover when you meet the Lord, that you have just been a fear-filled and lack luster human being.
All of us are God’s children, loved and cared for by God, part of God’s universe and God’s earth, fellow travelers on a common journey. And we all have been given gifts of one sort or the other. Humility is acknowledging those gifts and allowing them to grow and be a source of comfort and strength and love for others.
Pride, since it is the flip side of humility, goes against what is the truth of our existence. We are not God. To lord it over any other person or creature does not reflect the truth of our lives. Pride tells us that we are too good for this world, too good for others. It effectively keeps us at arm’s length from others. The humble person, on the other hand, draws close to others, because he or she knows deeply that we all belong to the same Lord.
Special Thanks to Mary Cappetta and Leslie Dambrogio, Chairpersons for our Parish Picnic, and their teams who made our parish picnic such a success! Although the weather did not cooperate with us, “Plan B” provided a wonderful day for parishioners to have fun and enjoy one another’s company. Thanks to all who made the day so wonderful!
Please mark your calendars for our next parish-wide event: The Parish Mission, which will be conducted October 10th – 13th at both church sites by Father Robert Gielow, a well known national preacher.
Out of the Office: From Friday night, August 26th – Wednesday night, August 31st, I will be conducting a retreat for the next class of Permanent Deacons who are preparing to be ordained on October 1st. I will not be available for appointments and will have limited access to emails. Please keep these men in your prayers as they prepare for their ordination for service in God’s Church.