God of Wonder, God of Light . . .

In my book, Candle Reflections. . . An Illuminated Life, I remember dwelling on the virtue of humility. Such a little virtue, such an ocean of knowing.

The readings today, the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, bring me back to that thinking on humility. Sirach tells us to "humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God." Sirach 3: 17-18, 20, 28-29.


As if I know what depths of humility there are! As the Catholic Encyclopedia tells us, the word humility signifies lowliness or submissiveness; certainly a feeling that what I am or what I have here is not worth much. That is the definition the world wants us to believe in! As with most things of this world, it is wrong! Because I have my traditions in the Church, and not in this world, I know that humility is the first of the virtues. Humility is the foundation-stone to all other virtues.

True humility is knowing that God is first among all things. We recognize gifts and talents in others, and we also recognize our own gifts and talents, and we also know that we can go so far and no further, for we are mere mortals with limitations. Humility, then, is a posture of strength not of weakness. There again, the world we live in tells us just the opposite!

In Exploring the Sunday Readings, author Alice Camille says:

Nobody wants to be humble and hidden. Humility and anonymity
have such bad vibes in the era of Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube,
we need a new label to make this ancient virtue cool and desirable
gain. So here's one: think of humility as "reverse celebrity." Everybody
gets fifteen minutes of fame today. Imagine getting yours and
punting it! Don't go blonde, or blue, or bald like the rest. Live without
the new thing. Drive the old car. Go on vacation -- and don't post
the pictures anywhere for people to envy your opportunity. Just
be invisibly ultra-hip, in the privacy of your home. Be so smart
that no one knows how much you know. Don't blog about every
last opinion you hold. Cultivate your own mystery. Pour a cup
of tea and be holy -- splendidly out of view.

If need be, turn to Our Lady. She can teach us all, far beyond the borders of humility.
My tea is waiting.