SPIRITUAL LIFE COMMITTEE
MISSIONARY SERVANTS OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
Monthly Reflection: August 2003
THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY
by Rev. Gilberto Rodríguez, S.T.
Humility is the virtue of Jesus Christ. The first gesture of humility is God becoming flesh: He chose to empty himself, assumed the human condition and lived among us. He subjected himself to countless humiliations in order to lift up our humanness and thus, through himself make us holy.
Jesus lived a simple and humble life. The manger scene speaks for itself. During his days, nothing extraordinary happened. In truth, what was precisely out of the ordinary was the fact that he who would live in such simplicity is God himself.
During his public life, Jesus taught as a Master. The lessons he gave to his followers related to humility. In fact he presented himself as the model: Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart (Mt 11:29). Even if his public life was fraught with wondrous and powerful signs, he lived humbly. And the very last gesture of his life- to die on the cross as one were a criminal- is doubtless the most eloquent act of humility that Jesus did.
How to understand humility? Humility is the opposite of pride. The proud one is overbearing, absorbed in himself. The humble one, on the other hand, lives in truth- he does not take cover in lies; he is sincere and transparent. He abhors deceit and self-serving machinations. The humble person recognizes his limits, appraises things with objectivity, and is willing to correct his faults. The humble possesses that special gift of knowing and accepting who he is and at the same time, he can forget himself and give of himself generously.
The humble are known precisely by how much they know themselves. Of course, this self-knowledge comes to us as a gift, as grace. For by ourselves, it is NEVER easy to know oneself. There is always in us that human arrogance which swells into pride and disallows us to examine and internalize our true self. And we know very well that without constant self-evaluation, we cannot really embrace our true self. Only when we truly know ourselves can we begin to discover the other marvelous things of God. Only when we have embraced ourselves can we fully be vulnerable to God. One character of the humble is their courage to live in God- in the way that they can, as a matter of course, tolerate life changes and shifts because they know that God is in control. And only God can fulfill us.
The humble are aware that everyone is a traveler. What I have today I might lose tomorrow. That being so, it would be better to share today. They are not attached to material things because they always seek the well-being of others. Nothing belongs to them for everything belongs to the common good. They emulate Jesus in his self-giving, their joy springing from open and mutual trust. They strive to learn from each experience without choosing only that which pleases them. The humble do not desist in giving what is needful.
Finally, the humble bring us along toward a more intimate relationship with God for they teach us that everything comes from God and everything belongs to God. Everything useful and pleasing arises from God. Only in God can we find satisfaction, Father Judge told us. The humble build and work together with others for the establishment of the reign of God, which is Life, Truth, Justice, Peace and Love.
Reflection Questions:
1. Is Jesus my model of humility? How humble am I in the exercise of power and strength?
2. How have I modeled to others the simple and humble life?
3. How can I better live this virtue of humility in the Missionary Cenacle?