Humility (Homily #64)

 

 

Homily #64b (10am Mass)

 

Homily #64a (8am Mass)

 

 

HOMILY #64: Humility

22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 28, 2016

St. Catherine’s, Vallejo

8am & 10am Masses

 

According to a study conducted by the State University of New York at Buffalo and published in the Academy of Management Journal, researchers concluded the following statement: Leaders that were humble were more effective and better liked (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208173643.htm).

QUOTE “Leaders of all ranks view admitting mistakes, spotlighting follower strengths and modeling teachability as being at the core of humble leadership” END QUOTE  These three behaviors were powerful predictors of their own as well as their organization’s growth.

"Growing and learning often involves failure and can be embarrassing.   But leaders who can overcome their fears and broadcast their feelings as they work through the messy internal growth process will be viewed more favorably by their followers.”

The researchers found that such leaders model how to be effectively human rather than superhuman.  Researcher say that we can't fake humility. One either genuinely wants to grow and develop, or you don't, and followers pick up on this.

In others words, to use human wisdom: just be your beautiful self.  Don’t pretend to be someone that you’re not.  People can see through it.  Humility is the truth.

So as you can see, dear brothers and sisters, even secular studies, worldly wisdom and non-religious leadership theory see the value of humility.  Humility is a strength, not a weakness. 

 

So what’s humility in heavenly wisdom?

In today’s Gospel, Our Lord said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the onle who humbles himself will be exalted.”  But please note something unique here.  He didn’t just give us research studies on humility.  It wasn’t just a nice little platitude or cozy statement. 

He himself is the source of humility.  Jesus Christ did not just teach it or model it—he is the virtue of humility itself.  He’s not just one religious leader among many, like Gandhi or Socrates, but he himself is THE reason why human beings are holy.  Christ isn’t just one of the ways to the Father, he is THE way to the Father.  The saints draw their humility from Him.

As we heard in our Gospel acclamation, Jesus said, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.”  

[When he taught the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” He showed that he himself is not high in spirit like a hot a hot air balloon but rather is meek and lowly in spirit.”]

He was humbled for only a time and season, only to be raised from the dead for us.  Jesus came down to earth to endure all humiliation that can ever be endured from creation of the world and the fall of Adam to the end of the world through his sacred Passion and death on the Cross, so that we can endure any humiliation in life.

 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes humility in this way: "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 (No. 2559).  The Catechism connects humility and having a prayer life.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI tells us: "Humility recognizes God as he is. Humility and trust are what make a person truly human" (Magnifacat, September 2007, pg. 41). 

Pope Francis said, “The world tell us to seek success, power, and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love”.

The great Protestant writer C.S. Lewis wrote, “humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of your self less.”  I’ll repeat that: Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of your self less.”

 

And here are some quotes for reflection from the lives of the saints.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who will be canonized in September as St. Theresa said, “If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise or disgrace b/c you know who you are.”

St. Augustine said, “Do you wish to rise?  Begin by descending.  You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds?  Lay first the foundation of humility.”

Augustine also called humility the foundation of all the other virtues.

St. Vincent Ferrer, after whom St. Vincent’s Church in Vallejo is named, taught, “Christ the Master of humility manifests His truth only to the humble and hides himself from the proud.:

St. Theresa of Avila, the great Doctor of the Church, taught, “One act of humility is worth more than all the knowledge of the world”

St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, taught, “Humility is to the various virtues what the chain is in a rosary.  Take away the chain and all the beads scatter.  Remove humility and all the virtues scatter.”

St. John Vianney taught, “A humble person, whether he is laughed at or esteemed, or praised or blamed, whether he is honored or despised, whether people pay attention to him or pass him by.  It is all the same to him:

 

Finally, some practical ways to develop humility.  One way is that when someone compliments you is to acknowledge that the gift comes from God.  One can either say something like, “Thank you” or “All glory to God.”

To use a phrase from the streets: “Yo gotta have the attitude of gratitude, brutha!” 

I have these because God made me this way.  A humble person says, “I have a nice house, job or degrees God gave these to me” or “I had help from others.”

In family life, one way to practice humility is to say “Sorry” and mean it.  Not “sorry the situation evolved like this” or “sorry I got caught” or “sorry that I made you feel this way.”

 

The Blessed Mother Mary is the model.  Ask Mama Mary to help us with our pride or arrogance, “Mama Mary, please help me be humble, so that I can be pleasing to God.”

Let us ponder the words from the First Reading where I close this homily with the Book of Sirach: “Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God”