Time for a little humble pie....

 I (still) always joke that I wasn't perfect until I learned humility (to the groans of family and friends!)  But, when I think about it,  humility isn't really something we learn, it is actually something we should aspire to.  

According to C.S. Lewis, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less."     Then there is Harry S. Truman who said, "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."  Or what about “What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." coined by Abraham Lincoln.  These are all famous men who tout the importance of being humble, of not trying to take credit for what we do, who believe that we should work for the greater good!

There is another great man who also believed that message and lived every day of his life setting an example for us on how to live in humility.  He is to many of us the greatest man, a man we call Jesus Christ.  Jesus spent his life as a servant to others and serving God's will.  In his relationship with his Father and with his brothers and sisters on earth, he was always a humble servant - he was without pride and prejudice, unselfish in all his actions.

Jesus accepted everyone as one of God's children and did not try to avoid any class of person.  Actually, Jesus was at ease with the rich and the powerful as well as those whom society deemed unclean.  His humility kept showing as he healed the sick and ministered to the poor and cast out demons.  He accepted the invitations to eat in the houses of sinners as well as Pharisees and hypocrites.  He even stopped to help women of ill repute!  Not once did he burst with pride at being the Son of God.....

So Jesus was the perfect example of living a humble life and one of his best examples was when he washed the feet of his apostles at the last supper.  Just picture it!  The Son of God kneeling before these men with a towel thrown over his shoulder and lugging a wash basin of sorts, even though he knew that one of these guys would betray him and another would deny even knowing him, not once, but three times!  Humble to the core of his being, setting the example for all of us to follow!

"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.  "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them.  "You call me Teacher and Lord and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."  John 13:12-17

This is a homily I found online that was given by Fr. Joseph K. Horn on 7 July 1996 at St Barbara’s Parish in Santa Ana, CA.  I thought that I can in no way improve on his words so I am presenting it in its entirety for your reflection.  I was surprised a few times, so might you.  It presents some very interesting perspectives and is based on an examination of pride vs. humility in 7 different questions (again, a number person like myself would note that there are 7 questions and this was presented on the 7th day of the 7th month..... and 7 often stands for divine perfection.... worth noting,  in my humble opinion.... )  But this is definitely worth the read!  It only takes about 5 more minutes - time well spent!

The Seven Tests of Humility 

You know how the doctor sometimes says, “This won’t hurt at all,” and then does something that hurts? I really hate it when they say, “This might hurt a little,” because then you know it’s definitely going to hurt. The worst thing I ever heard a doctor say was when I broke my leg ten years ago, and the doctor in the emergency room took hold of my leg to jerk the bones back into their somewhat proper location, and he looked me right in the eye and said, “This is really going to hurt.” 

Well, my friends, I thought about giving a sermon today that wasn’t going to hurt at all. It was too boring, so I rewrote it to hurt just a little. When it was done, I realized that I’d better warn you: This is really going to hurt. Sorry; no anesthetics are available. 

There are seven common situations that test a person’s humility, and reveal clearly whether they are proud or humble. As you listen to each of these seven tests, let it rip open your soul, if need be, and decide what needs to be operated on. 

Test #1:  What do you do when somebody wrongs you? Do you anger easily? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that we are little gods who should never be inconvenienced. When somebody wrongs us, it hurts our pride, and rather than being humbled by the experience, we get angry, like little Zeuses throwing little lightning bolt temper tantrums. Or do you take it in stride, remaining cool, calm and collected, rolling with the punches and remaining strong enough to take a few knocks? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that we are all sinners, and that we’re no better than anybody else. 

Test #2:  When was the last time you consciously decided to forgive somebody for some wrong they did to you? Was it long ago? Do you only rarely forgive others? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that people have no excuse for hurting us, that they did so on purpose, that they are lower than sewer sludge, and that they deserve our wrath and scorn. Or do you remember being recently wronged, and immediately forgiving them? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that they probably didn’t know what they were doing, that they have their own daily struggle just like we do, and that while to err is human, to forgive is divine. 

Test #3:  What do you do after realizing that you’ve sinned? Do you pretend it never happened? Do you say that it’s not really your fault? Do you plead extenuating circumstances? Do you blame someone else? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that we are too wonderful and excellent and awesome and perfect to really sin, so there must be some other explanation. Since we do not believe that we really sinned, we feel no guilt. Since we feel no guilt, we do not ask for forgiveness. Since we do not ask for forgiveness, we are not forgiven, and we continue to sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand, all the while saying, “Quicksand? What quicksand? I don’t see any quicksand!” Or do we tell God, “I have sinned; please forgive me”? That’s humility. Humility reminds us to face the facts, admit our sin, and beg forgiveness. We offer no excuses. We don’t blame the situation on other people. We know that we are sinners, but we humbly trust that our sins will be washed away in the blood of the Lamb. 

Test #4:  How often do you ask God for favors in prayer? Rarely? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that the greatest people are the self-made billionaires, and that since we are great too, we must in some way be self-made and self-reliant, needing nobody else, never needing to ask anybody for any favors, including God. Or do you find yourself occasionally asking God for help? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that everything we have is from God, that even our bodies and talents are on loan from God, that we are in need of salvation and that Jesus is our Savior. 

Test #5:  Are you easily annoyed by other people? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that it is we who define “normal”, so that anybody who behaves differently from our esteemed selves is behaving abnormally, probably on purpose, just to annoy us. Or do you enjoy the presence of other people, and interact easily with them? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that everybody is different, that each person has a unique role in God’s plan, and is therefore given different tastes, desires, abilities, and opportunities. The humble man sees God’s will in this diversity, and rejoices in it. 

Test #6:  Do you find it difficult to submit your will to another person? Do you only watch the TV shows and movies that you want to watch? Do you only eat what you want to eat? Do you complain when your children, parents, or boss ask you to do something above and beyond the call of duty? Do you refuse to do things because they are beneath your dignity? Or do you do them, but bellyache about it to everybody, as if you were being exploited or martyred? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that we have the right to do anything we want to do, and to avoid doing anything we don’t want to do. It was pride that made Lucifer say, “Non serviam! I will not serve!” Or do you gladly accept God’s will for you, as expressed by those who have legitimate authority over you or a claim to your time? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that God is in charge. He knows what he’s doing, and so we can trust Him completely. Every task we are given is a task that must be done by somebody. The humble soul says, “Here I am Lord; send me,” and then works patiently and gladly. It was humility that made Mary say, “Let it be done to me according to thy will.” 

Test #7:  When you experience success or good fortune, do you boast about it? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that success is always due to our own hard work, superior intelligence, brilliant imagination, keen sense of timing, and the simple and obvious fact that we’re just destined to be successful. It also tells us that good fortune isn’t a gift; no, it’s really a karmic thing; it’s the universe paying off its debt of gratitude in appreciation for our magnificence; it’s evidence that God himself is a member of our fan club. So we feel justified in bragging. Or do you take success in stride, remaining as cool, calm and collected in good fortune as in bad? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that when it rains or shines it does so on both the just and the unjust. Success is always caused by many factors, some of which we have no control over, and good fortune is a pure grace from God, undeserved and non-repayable. We thank God on our knees for such gifts, but we don’t boast about them. 

There you have it: the seven tests of humility. I hope I didn’t cause you too much pain by reading these to you. I like to imagine that the way souls get out of Purgatory is by passing a written exam full of questions like these, and as St. Peter passes out the exams, he says, “Don’t worry; this won’t hurt at all.”

 I don't know about you, but I think I landed on the side of pride more than humility - that's a great big slice of humble pie for me! 

 

Consider this from 1 Peter 5:5-6

"And all of you must clothe yourselves with your humility in your dealings with one another, for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time."