Humility

[qfnol31]

I've been taught that the best way to go about seeking humility isn't to seek it itself, but rather the virtue containing it, namely charity. If you focus on being humble, that can be dangerous, as the more you focus on it and your humility, the less humble you truly are. A Priest at my church teaches that for us to learn humility, we must learn true charity for neighbor and for God.

I don't know how that works very much as I am poor at each, but it makes a lot of sense.

[voiciblanche]

Argh. Humility is my biggest failing...

Though I'd say it's largely about being simple. St. Josemaria Escriva says a lot about this in The Way, tying the simplicity of a child into the child's humility... If we try to be simple people (without extravagance, etc.) then, in turn, we would have little trouble being humble... for what is there to be proud of if you know how simple and imperfect you are... instead, you'd devote that time to think of how awesome the complexity of God is, and how perfect He is. So, yeah... I'd say through simplicity.

[littleflower+JMJ]

when you think you have humility, you [i]just[/i] lost it

very good posts guys, its a matter of becoming totally self-less and all about others and God.

[HomeTeamFamily]

for me humility is something that i also struggle with.....the complete surrender of my whole entire being is a hard thing for me to trust.......however i pray for humility often and practically i try and live humbly

its pretty easy in my major because when im doing clinicals, all im doing is serving others and doing things for them and helping them with very little if any recognition so its good for me to know that im serving others that way

for me, this prayer is one that i like to recite as much as i can, its a great litany and it reminds me that EVERYTHING must be Gods and i cant have anything my own way.....NOTHING!!!!

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/humility.htm"]http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/humility.htm[/url]

[Colleen]

[quote name='lankyswimmer' date='Aug 25 2004, 10:13 PM'] for me, this prayer is one that i like to recite as much as i can, its a great litany and it reminds me that EVERYTHING must be Gods and i cant have anything my own way.....NOTHING!!!!

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/humility.htm"]http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/humility.htm[/url] [/quote]
I love that prayer, too, Adam! It's awesome!

[let_go_let_God]

I have always seen humility as putting others and their needs before those yourself. Also when people compliment you just saying a simple thank you or if you worked with other people giving them the credit rather than taking it yourself.

For being humble I've always looked at when Jesus washed the feet of his diciples (sorry can't spell tonight). By doing that he humbled himself to doing something that most servants wern't allowed to so. Only prisoners and servants from enemy nations (i believe) were commanded to do so.

Those who come first shall be last and those who are last shall be first. Whoever loves their life shall loose it and who ever looses their life for my sake shall have eternal life.

My .02

--lglg--

[Lil Red]

thanks for all your thoughts, guys!

[Carrie]

[quote name='let_go_let_God' date='Aug 26 2004, 01:38 AM'] I have always seen humility as putting others and their needs before those yourself. Also when people compliment you just saying a simple thank you or if you worked with other people giving them the credit rather than taking it yourself.

For being humble I've always looked at when Jesus washed the feet of his diciples (sorry can't spell tonight). By doing that he humbled himself to doing something that most servants wern't allowed to so. Only prisoners and servants from enemy nations (i believe) were commanded to do so.

Those who come first shall be last and those who are last shall be first. Whoever loves their life shall loose it and who ever looses their life for my sake shall have eternal life.

My .02

--lglg-- [/quote]
this is a great post

[cappie]

Humility is grounded in a psychological awareness that everything I have is a gift from God -- therefore, I have no reason to boast. I must not use these God-given gifts to elevate myself above others.
Humility means the proper understanding of our own worth. It requires us not to overestimate our worth, but also not underestimate it. That would be self-contempt leading to despair. The humility that the gospel urges upon us has nothing to do with a self-deprecation that leaves a person without proper self-esteem. We must simply admit the truth about ourselves: we do not know everything, we do not do everything right, we are all imperfect and sinners. Nevertheless, we also recognize that we are made in the image and likeness of God and that we are called to help build the kingdom of God with our God-given gifts. We are of value because we are loved by God. To be humble is to realize that we are loved by God because we are His children.

The quality of humility that Jesus is talking about has a sociological dimension too. It means that Jesus is inviting us to associate with the so-called “lower classes" of society -- even the outcasts. Jesus invites us to change our social patterns in such a way that we connect with the homeless, the handicapped, the elderly, and the impoverished -- the "street people" of the world.

C.S. Lewis writes about his decision to attend Mass after his conversion to Christianity. A university don, he was suddenly sitting in the pews with people very different from himself. At first it was humbling, but little by little he realized how necessary it was for him to have communion with the lame, the crippled, the blind and the poor in order to see his true self in them.

[let_go_let_God]

[quote name='cappie' date='Aug 26 2004, 05:22 PM'] Humility is grounded in a psychological awareness that everything I have is a gift from God -- therefore, I have no reason to boast. I must not use these God-given gifts to elevate myself above others.
Humility means the proper understanding of our own worth. It requires us not to overestimate our worth, but also not underestimate it. That would be self-contempt leading to despair. The humility that the gospel urges upon us has nothing to do with a self-deprecation that leaves a person without proper self-esteem. We must simply admit the truth about ourselves: we do not know everything, we do not do everything right, we are all imperfect and sinners. Nevertheless, we also recognize that we are made in the image and likeness of God and that we are called to help build the kingdom of God with our God-given gifts. We are of value because we are loved by God. To be humble is to realize that we are loved by God because we are His children.

The quality of humility that Jesus is talking about has a sociological dimension too. It means that Jesus is inviting us to associate with the so-called “lower classes" of society -- even the outcasts. Jesus invites us to change our social patterns in such a way that we connect with the homeless, the handicapped, the elderly, and the impoverished -- the "street people" of the world.

C.S. Lewis writes about his decision to attend Mass after his conversion to Christianity. A university don, he was suddenly sitting in the pews with people very different from himself. At first it was humbling, but little by little he realized how necessary it was for him to have communion with the lame, the crippled, the blind and the poor in order to see his true self in them. [/quote]
Thank you carrie.

Cappie your post is amazing.

[Seven77]

bump

[Theoketos]

I struggle with humility when people explain things to me that I already know.

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

humility: being grounded

To me, humility is becoming the invisable do-gooder. The one that does both little and great deeds and accepts or gives no awareness that they did these. Any praise is passed on to God, for it is not you who is worthy of praise, but God alone!

Humility is hard for me to do, but it starts with simple good deeds for others without motive, like helping someone without telling them, picking up after someone. Simple things that are kind of out of the way. I know that after we have camp and we pick up afterwards, I go around and pick up every little bit on the carpet to make it clean for the next group while everyone else is standing around talking and signing shirts. I become invisable and no one talks to me or helps me either. I'd pick up anything BARE handed, even chewed gum or toenails... That's my practice of humility... It gets hard sometimes though, but you just gotta persist!

Edited August 30, 2004 by FutureNunJMJ

[toledo_jesus]

today's homily was on humility.
The priest said that humility was threefold, but I only remember the first and second. That is 1: truth. Truth to your station in life, truth to your God-given gifts, i.e. if you're the best golfer in the world, don't pretend you're not. That would be dishonest, not humble. 2: stewardship, and I don't quite remember what that entails. I think that 3: Using your gifts to benefit others, and especially God and the Church.
It was a good homily, I'm just tired.

Edited August 30, 2004 by toledo_jesus

[cappie]

The word “humility” comes from the Latin word “humus” which means ground. So one who is humble is grounded. Specifically, they are grounded in reality. That is why we must be careful and avoid false humility – of being falsely grounded in perceived reality. This is really not as easy as it might seem. Even if we are open to knowing true reality, and pursue it, we can be led astray by others, our culture, or history in believing a less than true or accurate or honest reality.

If we are truly seeing things as they really are, including ourselves and our place in things, we would be acting very differently. Can we be humble enough to accept our error, or misconceptions of reality, and be open to letting Jesus show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life that will lead us to happiness, fulfillment, joy, and eternal life

In truth, most if not all the problems of our lives, and our times, can be traced to our misperceptions of reality. From our earliest days of consciousness, our mind is trying to perceive reality. We misread, misjudge, or are just misinformed about so many things. Yet this is what we use to make our conscious and subconscious decisions about everything in life. Now here you might start thinking you are an exception. But - IN REALITY – we all suffer from this problem because its part of the human condition. The core attitudes or perspective of the world, and ourselves were formed before we turned seven years old. Therefore they were developed when we didn’t have the full and refined use of our reasoning. We developed an immature and unreasoned outlook toward things that we carried with us as we matured, and this is were the virtue of Humility is critical. Without humility we cannot be open to change, or to learning the full reality around us. Without humility we will use the immature attitudes and outlooks we developed in early childhood

To be humble is to recognize reality, acknowledge reality, accept reality, and live in accordance with that reality. It is reality- that we can’t do that without God’s help. We have the opportunity to let Jesus help us today.