The world doesn’t believe that the Virtue of Humility is important or even desirable. But God thinks otherwise. Consider this: The only weapon that Satan has no defense against is the Virtue of Humility, and this is the very weapon that Jesus used to defeat the devil when He humbled Himself by dying on the Cross.
The essence of humility is simply seeing yourself as God sees you. When St Theresa of Avila asked Jesus what true humility is, He replied: “To know what you can do, and what I can do.”
The first reading from Sirach, reminds us to “Conduct your affairs with humility… Humble yourself…and you will find favor with God.” Jesus echoes this idea in the Gospel by saying, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Two Amazing Examples of Authentic Humility
First, St John Vianney: Once a group of priests conspired to sign a petition demanding that the bishop remove St John Vianney from his parish. Then they took it to this humble priest to tell him to his face that he was a terrible pastor who was ruining his parish and that he had no right to be a priest because he was completely incompetent.
St John Vianney read the petition and saw the signatures at the bottom. Then he did something very strange. Taking the petition to his desk, he reached for a pen and signed it himself! He told the priests that they were absolutely right, that he was incompetent, that someone else could do a better job, and that he hoped the bishop would listen to them. Of course, the bishop did not. Instead, he was so impressed by the saint’s humility that he kept him in the parish until his death.
Second, St John Paul II:Catholic author Scott Hahn tells the following story: Several years ago one of his priest friends was in Rome, and on the steps of one of the churches he saw a beggar who looked very familiar. To his utter surprise, he realized that it was one of his classmates from the seminary. “Didn’t we go to the seminary together?” he asked. “Yes,” said the beggar. “But you’re a priest, right?” “Not anymore,” the beggar replied, “I fell off the deep end.”
A short time later the priest had an audience with Pope John Paul II. He told him the story, and asked him to pray for his friend. The Pope assured him that he would. Later that day the priest received a phone call inviting him to have dinner with the Pope and to bring the ex-priest with him. He ran to the church and found his friend and gave him the good news. But the beggar said, “I’m a mess. I haven’t showered in a long time, and my clothes are filthy.” But the priest took him back to his hotel room and helped him get all cleaned up.
At the end of a very enjoyable dinner, the Holy Father asked to be alone with the ex-priest. After a long while, the man came out with tears in his eyes. “What happened?” his friend asked? The man replied, “The Pope asked me to hear his confession! I told him, ‘Your Holiness, look at me! I’m a beggar, not a priest!’ But the Pope looked at me and said, “Who among us is not a beggar? I too come before the Lord as a beggar asking for forgiveness of my sins.” I told him I was not in good standing with the Church, but the Pope assured me that as the Bishop of Rome he could reinstate me right then and there.”
After he heard the Holy Father’s confession, the newly reinstated priest asked the Pope to hear his confession. Then John Paul II gave him an assignment to minister to the beggars on the steps of the church where he had been found. Through the humility of Pope John Paul II, who saw himself as God saw him, this former beggar received a new hope, a new mission and a new beginning.
To See Ourselves as God Sees Us
The world doesn’t believe that the Virtue of Humility is important or even desirable. But God thinks otherwise, because true humility is simply seeing ourselves as God sees us.
We’re about to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. But before we do, we will all make the following statement: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”
As we contemplate the Lord’s humility and His eternal and tender love for each of us, let’s say those words with conviction. Let’s learn from our Savior how to be truly humble of heart.