We live in a society that has a great need to listen again to the gospel message about humility. The race to occupy the first places, perhaps crushing the heads of others, unbridled competition, and other expressions of imbalance, all originated in pride, are attitudes, on the one hand, despised and on the other, unfortunately, followed. The Gospel has social strength when it speaks of humility and modesty: “After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus put on the robe and went back to his place”. He said to the disciples, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord; and ye say well, for I am. If I, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet “(Jn 13: 12-14). Such a spirit of service is intended to ferment social relations with sound realism and courage to establish new parameters in human relationships.

In times of intense competition for political office, it may seem strange to speak of humility, for the order of the day is to show one’s own qualities to the detriment of “the other side” behavior. The Christian has the courage to swim against the current, proposing and experimenting in himself a diverse behavior. The word “humility” is related to “man” and both derive from “humus”, which means “soil”, “fecundity”. Humble is the one below, close to the ground, and precisely because of this, he risks less to lose his balance. Have firm feet on earth! It is humane to be humble! The humble person does not pretend to be greater or less than he really is. The fecundity of their existence depends on offering themselves, in a spirit of service, to accomplish what is capable in the direction of the good of others. Modesty makes the gifts bestowed upon each one more beautiful. But humility and modesty only combine with the love of charity ! Whoever chose to live to love in the measure of God’s love accepts to be support for others with humility, without humiliation.

To be humble is not to be smaller, but it is related to love, which is something great

For a parent, humility can be about listening to stories of a child, meeting the other who asks a thousand disconcerting questions, or fecundating with a smile the end of a day. At work, this virtue can mean initiative and creativity. A person will discover, in the capacity for listening, his path of humility. Another, in the challenging field of politics, can lessen the arrogance of many of the speeches and become more realistic and simpler, opening up to the collaboration of others, realistically proposing steps towards more consistent social change.

Jesus went to meet everyone. We see Him talking to young and old, publicans and prostitutes, righteous and sinful, or invited to dine at the house of a Pharisee (cf. Lk 14: 1-14). Already in the beatitudes began the invitations to the poor, afflicted, meek of heart, hungry, persecuted! In telling the details of that meal, the Evangelist St Luke opens the horizon of understanding the great eschatological banquet to which God invites all men and women.

Read more:
.: Check out the articles in the series “Moral Virtues and Cardinals”
.: How can we grow in faith, hope and charity?
.: Do you know what they are and how to acquire the moral virtues?
.: What is the greatest virtue of the human being?

It is an occasion for two small parables. To the guests, Jesus seems to teach social etiquette, but in reality he strips the intentions for which they were there, proposing to them the entrance to the feast of the Kingdom of God by the road of service, since many wanted to enter with the privileges of any privileged group. To the party owner, Christ makes it clear that a seemingly magnanimous gesture can hide interests! It is hard work “to practice virtue,” to understand that it will be a happy thing to do things by absolute gratuity: “You will be happy because they can not repay you” (Lk 14:14) .

If there is a lot of competition and selfishness among us, on the other hand, there are many testimonies of free people in your relationship, happy people who give their all for the good of others. Looking around, we will see this magnificent species bloom! They are flowers of the virtue of humility, of that humility of flowers, which they take from the earth only and only what they need to be alive and beautiful, as God wants us!

Formation Columnists Team