TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

What is humility?

I think we often think of humility as being down on oneself.

Of thinking low of oneself.

However, I think that this is just a well disguised form of pride.

I think this phrase from our first reading captures well the meaning of humility, “What is too sublime for you, seek not, into your strength search not.”

To be prideful is to overestimate yourself. It is to misunderstand yourself.

Someone who is prideful is someone who thinks that they are better that what they are, or, perhaps as well, worse than they are.

Someone who is prideful presents themselves in an inauthentic way to others.

They put on a mask, or sorts, and do not show others the real them.

Humility, on the other hand, is an authenticity.

A humble person is one who knows who they really are and presents this authenticity to others.

How do we grow in humility?

3 ways:

Self knowledge

Self knowledge is always the beginning of humility

Humility begins by asking God to show you who you really are.

It begins by assessing your life, your strengths and weaknesses, and being honest with yourself.

And once you have gotten some grasp of who you are, let others see who you are. Strive to be authentic.

I think you will be surprised by how much love people are willing to pour out upon someone who is authentically themselves.

Seek advice

The next way to grow in humility is to frequently seek the advice of others.

In seeking advice, we do not just lean on our own understanding in our decisions, an understanding that can be skewed by our own biases and misunderstandings.

Rather, we bring others in. Others who have an “outside perspective.” Who can give us advice on what we should do.

Seek friendship

The last way to grow in humility is to seek friendship.

A good friend is like a mirror.

A mirror where we see ourselves and we grow in our own understanding of who we are.

Our friends, often, know us better than we know ourselves, and so by investing time and energy in cultivating friendships, we come to a better knowledge of who we are.

One who is humble is loved more than a giver of gifts. Which means they are loved a lot.

They are not just loved by others, but they are also loved by God, who, in response to our humility, will exalt us on high.