HUMILITY: THE KEY TO FRUITFUL LIFE

January 21, 2007

What must we do to fulfill Jesus' command to love one another? St. Paul counsels us: "I beg you: make my joy complete by your unanimity, possessing the one love, united in spirit and ideals. Never act out of rivalry or conceit. Rather, let all parties think humbly of others as superior to themselves, each of you looking to others' interests rather than to his own" (Phil 2:1 4).

The key word is "humility". Paul does not simply exhort the Christians to love one another. He knew, as we do, that love is the essence of Christian life, but he also knew Christian love is difficult to live.

He taught us: "If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing" (I Cor. 13:1 3).

Then, Paul described the qualities of Christian love: "Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude; it is not self seeking; it is not prone to anger. Neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure" (1 Cor. 13:4 7).

Jesus offered the same teaching in simplified form. He told us to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us. He pointed out that even pagans love those who love them, and said that with us, things must be different. We must love everyone, and love them completely.

How can we become such persons who love as Jesus loved?

Love is built on a foundation of humility. Jesus instructed his apostles to imitate him not in his love, but in his humility. "Learn from me", he said, "because I am meek and humble of heart".

Humility is the opposite of pride, which blinds us to others' needs and beauty, and enslaves us to selfish attention to our own needs and wants. It keeps us from saying words of kindness and forgiveness. It's pride that keeps us from meeting each other half way, and that is the source of arguments and rivalries, insensitivity, anger, and all that brings us sorrow. Humility, on the other hand, frees us of illusions about ourselves and opens us to accept others as they are, and to accept whatever comes to us in life.

Paul tells us: "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... he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross" (Phil. 2:5 8).

What Paul teaches us is that humility is an attitude. A good explanation of humility is "emptying oneself", like Jesus. It is "letting go", being grateful for one's blessings, but not clinging to them.

If we remember that we come from God and are destined to return to him, and if we accept everything in this life as a free gift, humility comes a little easier. It becomes easier not to hang on, but to let go. The word "humility" comes from the word "humus" which means earth. The humble person keeps close to the earth. If we remember our mortality, and that one day we will die and be lowered into the earth, and that we cannot hold on to anything, not even our life, at that moment, then humility comes to us a little easier. And if we remember we will rise from the grave, and have nothing to fear, then it is a little easier to let go.

+Bishop Raymundo J. Peña

last updated 05-Jun-2008 9:48 sitemap