Love in Truth

What is humility?

       Humility is staying at the foot of the Cross of Jesus and seeing ourselves as God sees us.

Humility is a way of being and it is shown through a person's words and actions. A person who shows great humility is said to be 'humble'. A humble person doesn't seek to make themselves look better than anyone else even if they have achieved really great things. Instead they

recognize that they, like ever yone else, have strengths and weaknesses.

They try to use their gifts to help others and to overcome their weaknesses. As Christians, we believe that our strengths are gifts from God, to be used wisely to bring God's love to others and to bring glory to God. We also believe that God helps us to overcome our weaknesses, if we remember to call on His help. A person who shows humility, uses their gifts to serve God and to help others but not to bring glory to themselves.

Jesus' whole life was an example of humility. When some of his disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest he said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all." (Mark 9:35) Jesus was the Son of God and he could have used this to gain himself power and fame. Instead he served others, helped the sick and downtrodden, forgave sinners and brought new hope to the poor. In humility he was crucified with two thieves. He showed us that in order to follow him, we too must put others' needs before our own, recognizing that our gifts and successes are given to us by God and are to be used to bring God's love to others. We must therefore show humility in our words and actions.

…she understood the meaning of Jesus’ words, “Unless you become like little children you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mark 10:15). Therese was aware of her strengths and her weaknesses. She believed that every good thing she did was done with God's help and she asked God to help her overcome her weaknesses. Therese acknowledged that she was not perfect and sometimes she found it difficult to get on with others in her community.

"We must never search for what seems big in human eyes."

[We must not try to appear better than we are; I call it “we are never stronger than the weakest part of us.”]

"What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love."