Humility

Today, I would like to talk about the virtue of humility and its necessity in the life of a Catholic.

Humility is necessary, because without it, our fasting, praying, and other good works have no merit. They are only pompous outwardly displays of pride that attempt to hide the rotten sinful inside.

Many take pride in qualities that are not important for salvation. They brag about their wealth, strength, good looks, health, and intelligence. Will perfect health help you get to heaven? Did you create yourself with perfect health? How then can you brag? Should wealth be something to pride in? Should you take credit for material possessions which God has blessed you with? Is intelligence not a also a gift, which God has given you? The same can be said for good looks and strength. With hard work and diligence, we can foster and care for the gifts which God has given us. However, we must remember that ultimately all our gifts come from God and are not for our personal pride.

For dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return

Genesis 3:19

Let us move on to the spiritual. Are you virtuous? Do you obey all the precepts of the Church? Do you pray and meditate daily? If so, this is good. However, me must never forget that our spiritual victories are not on account of our own strength, but on account of God’s help and guidance. Without God, you are nothing. You own your very existence to God. You owe your gifts and spiritual victories to God. You owe everything to Him. Yet with this knowledge in mind, you still boast about yourself, your qualities, and your achievements. You give all the credit to yourself and rob God of the credit due to him

What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be.

From a church in Rome lined with skeletons.

Humility is necessary, because without it, our fasting, praying, and other good works have no merit. They are only pompous outwardly displays of pride that attempt to hide the rotten sinful inside. Humility helps us realize our nothingness compared to God. It therefore incites us to pay Him the adoration that is due. It helps us realize our sinfulness in comparison to His perfection and incites in us contrition of our sins. Finally, it helps us display gratitude towards God, because we realize that we owe all our gifts and blessings to Him.

Memento Mori.

Remember your death.

Pride is one of the deadly sins. It was the sin committed by Lucifer and the fallen angels, and it was the sin committed by our first parents. Humility combats this deadly vice.

Now that we know the necessity of humility, we must strive in every way to make ourselves as humble as Jesus, who was born in a stable, laid in a manger, and died naked on a cross.

Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3

Finally, here are some ways that you can practice humility.

• When someone else gets to credit that you “deserve” remain silent and remember that God deserves all the credit.
• Don’t be prideful by pretending to be humble.
• Don’t take the credit for anything you did not do.
• To not boast of yourself and your accomplishments.
• Do not draw unnecessary attention to yourself.

Adapted from Lectures for Boys by Rev. Francis Cuthbert Doyle. O.S.B.