September 10, 2008

Excerpt from Response to God's Love
            by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.    Chapter 5

 

                                                              The Christian Virtues

       Humility

       Humility is both the realization of what we are as creatures of God and the concrete implementation of this realization in our Christian lives. Humility, therefore, is not an exercise in self-depreciation; it is not telling yourself that you are no good, that you really have nothing of any significance to contribute to the service of God. Humility is truth. It is compatible with the recognition that God has given a person certain gifts, even great gifts, of nature and grace. If we do not recognize our God-given gifts, we do not thank God for them as we should, nor properly develop these gifts according to his will. God wants us not only to recognize the good that is in us, but also to realize the source of this goodness. Although we have a responsibility to cooperate with his graces, God is the one who is chiefly responsible for what we are. If one person has advanced to a level in the Christian life that is beyond the level of another, it is ultimately because God has given that person greater graces. It is evident, then, why Mary, the mother of Jesus and our mother, is an excellent example of true humility. She realized both her greatness and the source of that greatness. In Mary's song of thanksgiving—the Magnificat—we read:
 

              My being proclaims the greatness of
                     the Lord,
              my spirit finds joy in God my
                     savior,
              For he has looked upon his servant in
                     her lowliness;
              all ages to come shall call me
                     blessed.
              God who is mighty has done great
                     things for me,
              holy is his name
                                                —Lk 1:46-49
 

       If humility is truth and, consequently, allows us to properly recognize our gifts, it also necessitates that we admit to the evil within us, which is also part of the truth and must be acted upon. Humility not only bids us to admit that there is evil in us, but also tells us that, as creatures of God, we should conform to his will and work against this evil side of our persons. In summary, humility allows us to properly evaluate both the good and evil within ourselves. 

       Because humility is the realization of the implications of our creaturehood, it helps us to accept the human condition with all its ramifications. One aspect of the human condition is that we occasionally suffer because of the limitations and sinfulness of others. To rebel in these situations is a failure to realize what it means to be part of the human condition, a failure to relate to reality, a failure in humility. Christ, the sinless one, the perfect one, suffered tremendously because of the human condition, but he did not rebel. He realized what it meant to be a human being—namely, that one must accept the fact that at times one is going to suffer because of the evil in others. Christ did not flinch; as human being, he fully accepted his creaturehood with all its ramifications. He was truly humble. 

       Another sign of humility is one's willingness to live out the various implications of being a social person. A proud person is a falsely independent person who, in various ways, refuses to admit his or her social dimension, namely, that he or she needs others. A proud person also tends to refuse to admit his or her obligation to help others. To be available to others in their manifold needs demands a price, and a proud person, who is closed in upon his or her own self-interest is often not willing to pay this price. Whether it is a question of receiving from others or giving to them, humility helps to remind us of the truth of John Donne's classic observation that "no man is an island." 

       Humility also bids a person to accept himself or herself as coming forth from the creative hand of God. God has given each of us certain fundamental talents that can be great, but can also be ordinary. God has also given each of us a certain basic temperament and personality, and we must realize that he leads us on in Christian holiness according to this fundamental structure. This is not to say that we are not to improve upon our essential structure; it is rather to say that we are not to strive to become what God does not intend us to be. 

       Humility likewise leads a person to seek and fulfill the task in life that God has appointed for him or her. To act in this way is to exercise humility because it manifests a realization of what it means to be God's creature. We cannot always be as sure of our role in life as we would like. If we utilize prayer and the other means that are available, however, we can be as certain as God wants us to be, and this is what matters. Within this God-given role, we should strive to give our reasonable best each day despite the possible monotony, frustration, or hiddenness of our work. We must give our attention primarily to the task of the present. At times, a lack of humility can tempt us to live too much in the past or too much in the future (other causes are admittedly possible). To fail to properly live in the present can mean that we are dissatisfied with the tasks and circumstances that God's providence, here and now, puts before us. If this is the truth of the matter, it means that we are failing to some extent to act as creatures before our Creator; it is to fail in humility. It is appropriate that we conclude these remarks concerning humility by listening to St. Paul speak of Jesus: 

              Your attitude must be that of Christ.
              Though he was in the form of God,
                     he did not deem equality with God
                     something to be grasped at.
              Rather, he emptied himself
                     and took the form of a slave,
                     being born in the likeness of men.
 
              He was known to be of human estate,
                     and it was thus that he humbled
                     himself,
                     obediently accepting even death,
                     death on a cross!
                                                                    —Phil 2:5-8

    end of excerpt from Chapter 5 Response to God's Love