The Desire for Humility

By Tim Trainor

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110120.cfm
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
Matthew 5:1-12

To me – the “Taking the Lowest Seat at Feast” parable in our Gospel Reading is all about painting a word picture to define humility so we can better practice it.

In the other 2 readings (especially in the Psalm “My soul is thirsting for ..”) I was struck by how they were full of examples/references and use of the word “desire.” For instance, the desire  God wishes for us to demonstrate towards Him and the gifts He wishes to give us.

Did you know we Catholics have twelve official Litany's? One of them is The Litany of Humility

We begin with our Gospel, Luke 14:7-14, it contains a parable known as “Taking the Lowest Seat at Feast.” In contrast to most other parables, this is a wisdom saying rather than an analogy, allegory, or fable type of Parable. What’s the difference?

In most of Jesus’ parables, he puts the burden on the listener to interpret it and figure out what it means in his life. However, in this parable, Jesus tells the listener how to behave. For Jesus to speak so plainly means he did not want anyone to miss the meaning, i.e., that humility really matters! Note though, that he presented his message in a very tactful way to his Pharisee listeners.

He told his listeners that he was speaking of a marriage feast, perhaps to avoid anything which might offend them by any air of direct reproof. His teaching was actually nothing new as similar advice had already been given to us in Proverbs 25:6-7: Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, & do not claim a place among his great men; it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before his nobles. But to this example from Proverbs, Christ adds in a Wedding Feast setting and paints for us an updated lesson for us to see the Humility God desires.

Did you ever ask yourself: “Why is humility so important to a Christian?” The Bible has 106 stories emphasizing humility. Faith is featured in 104 stories, and love is featured only 47 times. Are  these numbers trying to tell us something? 

Catholic Theology views humility as a sub-part of the Cardinal Virtue of Temperance. It is viewed as a part of temperance because temperance includes all those virtues that restrain or help limit the inordinate movements of our desires or appetites. Note the presence of the word DESIRE here. Remember this word caught my eye, so you need to watch for it too as we go along.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines humility as: “The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good. Humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride, and provides the foundation for turning to God in prayer. Voluntary humility can be described as ‘poverty of spirit’.” (CCC 2559 and 2546)

Here are some quotes which may better help us get our arms around this virtue:

• In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote “True humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; but it is thinking of yourself less.”
  
• St. Bernard defines it as, "A virtue by which a man knowing himself as he truly is, and humbles himself. Jesus Christ is the ultimate definition of Humility."
  
• St. Thomas Aquinas, a 13th-century philosopher and theologian, defines humility as "the virtue that consists in keeping oneself within one's own bounds, not reaching out to things above one, but submitting to one's superior".
  

Consider the line from the movie “Rudy” which is a true story about Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger. While talking to the former president of Notre Dame, Fr. John Cavanaugh, Rudy complains that his efforts have come to naught. Soon his dream of playing football at Notre Dame will be over. He's in his last year of eligibility. Rudy asks “Can you help?” 

“Son, in years of religious studies,” replies Cavanaugh, “I’ve come up with only two hard, incontrovertible facts: There is a God . . . and I’m not Him.”

I believe Father Cavanaugh is saying that “It takes an act of God to made the  Notre Dame football team.

So, after we have done what we can, we humbly act. We take a seat at a back table, and offer the rest to God’s loving, providential care. We pray, and that is the best we can do. There is a God; but I am not Him. I cannot by myself make it happen (that is – add myself to the Head Table's Seating/Football Team Roster). That is in GOD's hands. The act-of-God does occur in Rudy's last year of walk-on eligibility. He even suits up and plays in their last game of the season by popular demand of his team mates and fans

More quotes:

• "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).
  
• “Humility makes our lives acceptable to God, meekness makes us acceptable to men” (St Francis De Sales).
  
• Now to finish up with some Saint Augustine Quotes:
  
• It WAS pride that changed angels into devils; it IS humility that makes men as angels.  [My favorite]
  
• Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.
  
• Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.
  
• Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.
  
• No one reaches the kingdom of Heaven except by humility.  [My 2nd favorite]
  

The Litany of Humility was popularized by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)  who served as the secretary of the papal conclave of 1903, the one that elected Pope Pius X. The Pope is said to have accepted his election through Merry del Val's encouragement. The Cardinal's writings and example prompted great usage of  this Litany during his lifetime.

Some notes that I found written on Litany of Humility:  

• To live in humility, you need to desire to live always in the confidence of God’s love, protection, and guidance and therefore to not be concerned when others insult you, or praise you. Secure in God’s love, you won’t have to base your identity on whether or not others notice and accept you, and so you won’t have to compete with them and beat them down to make yourself feel bigger.
  
• Humility does not have anything to do with humiliation or self-defilement; we have an obligation to serve Christ Effectively and Joyfully in pure love.
  
• Therefore it is important that we never relinquish the noble responsibility of developing our talents to the fullest. Our self-development is a spiritual necessity, and it won’t become an act of selfishness if we seek it with proper humility. Some good to know Catholic growth stuff don't you think.

The Litany of Humility

(the acclamation, followed by the response, in italic)

O  JESUS merciful and humble of heart,           Hear me.

FROM the DESIRE of being admired,          Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved,                                "

From the desire of being praised,                             "

From the desire of being favored,                            "

From the desire of being accepted,                          "

From the desire of being consulted,                        "

From the desire of being well-known,                    "

From the desire of being honored,                          “

From the fear of being criticized,                               "

From the fear of being ridiculed,                           "

From the fear of being humiliated,                        "

From the fear of being falsely accused,                "

From the fear of being persecuted,                        "

From the fear of being disbelieved,                       "

From the fear of being despised,                           "

From the fear of being forgotten,                          "

That others may be loved more than I,                 Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be admired more than I,                                             "       

That others may be praised though I may be unnoticed,                      "

That others may be chosen though I may be set aside,                        "

That others may be preferred to me in receiving of social honors,      “                                                                              

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase in prominence while I remain hidden,                     "

Though others will do what they want, may my life be a radiant reflection of Your glory,                            "

Amen