Serious Advent Stuff About Humility To Help Us On Our Way To Bethlehem
Humility has been a theme we've focused on over the years during Advent. After all, not only is humility an essential virtue for anyone aspiring to eternal life in Heaven. it's also, essential if we're struggling valiantly to become saints even as we slog our way through this Valley of Tears.
But, perhaps most appropriate to Advent, consider Our Lord's birth in a stable in Bethlehem on that first Christmas. Could there be a more poignant and powerful example of humility than this?
And so we'll call on one of our regular spiritual directors, Father Joseph Schryvers for some lessons in humility as we work our way through Advent.
As we read Father's words, we'll want to apply them to our own individual circumstances - and that includes our time at work. For work, we might examine how we apply ourselves to our tasks and how we respond to whatever success we have, or lack thereof.
If successful, do we get all puffed up? Or do we simply note that we just completed a task well done - as it should
be. In that spirit, we recognize that all our tasks should be done
first for the glory of God, next because we want to diligently
perform all our tasks with fervor and exactness, finally because we
simply have paid a debt to our employer and/or our customers and
clients.
If not successful, we might face the facts. Accept either our shortcomings or failure as somehow part of God's Plan. If criticized for less-than-perfect work, rather than defend our actions, we might simply accept the criticism calmly, without resentment or complaint.
With that in mind, here's our 1st lesson for Advent:
“Humility is so pleasing to Him that when Jesus finds a truly humble soul, He is attracted towards her and showers her more abundantly with His graces. Humility is really the basis of religion and somehow or other, we must get it into our lives: into our intellect, our will, and actions. By means of her intellect and her judgment, the soul must learn to appreciate herself at her true value, as she is in the eyes of God. If she does this sincerely, she will become humble in mind. It was in this sense St. Teresa said: ‘Humility is truth.’ To see ourselves as we are before God, in the full extent of our nothingness, with all the fickleness of our will, and all the germs of sin which lie concealed in our corrupt nature; then, without appropriating credit to ourselves, to see all the good God has deposited in us, the graces He has conferred upon us, and all the natural good qualities with which He has endowed us, is to get a truer picture of our true selves and our relation as creatures to Creator. And if once we truly realize that relation, we shall have laid a solid foundation for the fundamental virtue.
“By your will accept, ratify, and love this knowledge, so that your soul may be at ease in finding itself so small and so infinitely miserable before God, yet rejoice that Infinite Goodness has deigned to stoop and notice such nothingness. This is humility of the will. When that is attained, the soul will desire to treat herself, and to be treated by others, according to the knowledge which she has acquired of herself. As she is nothing, and possesses nothing of herself, she will confess herself unworthy of any consideration; she will exact no notice from others, no mark of esteem or honor. She believes herself always better treated than she deserves. Consequently, she can take more readily upon herself anything that may be trying or difficult. Being nothing, and having no good, whatever, of herself, she can honestly realize that there is no human being inferior to her in merit. If she receives marks of esteem or affection, she will accept them with simplicity, but for the glory of God, Whom others love and honor in her. This is humility of action.” - Fr. Joseph Schryvers, C.SS.R. (1876-1945)
As is our custom, we conclude with the beautiful, traditional Advent aspiration:
Divine Infant of Bethlehem
Come and Take Birth In Our Hearts!
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