When St Augustine was asked to name the three most important virtues, he replied: 1. Humility, 2. Humility, 3. Humility. That’s because humility is the only weapon Satan has no defense against—which is why God chose the humiliation of the Cross to defeat the devil.
Humility is the unifying virtue that binds the eight Beatitudes tightly together. The person who is blessed is the person who’s not thinking about himself all the time. The poor in spirit and those who suffer persecution realize that they’re not the center of the universe—GΘD is. The pure of heart realize that others don’t exist just for the sake of their pleasure. The peacemaker is concerned about the needs of others. The merciful are concerned about the suffering of others. The mournful are concerned about the damage their sins cause to the Church and to the world. The meek care more about getting things done than getting credit for it. Those who hunger for righteousness realize that their life has purpose and meaning.
Underlying the Beatitudes is the fundamental attitude that puts GΘD and others ahead of you. GΘD loves the humble, because their souls are open to receive his manifold gifts. That’s why our first reading today shows GΘD praising “the humble and lowly” and exhorting us to “seek humility.” This point is beautifully illustrated by the following true story.
A Humbling Encounter on the Train
Many years ago, a young French businessman, traveling by train to Paris, was sharing a compartment with an old man who looked like a peasant—simple clothes, short hair and a weather-beaten face.
The businessman noticed he was praying the rosary and decided to have some fun at the old man’s expense. He said, “I see that you still believe in that medieval bunk about praying your beads. Do you also believe in all the other myths the priests try to teach us?” “Yes, I do,” the old man answered. “Don’t you?”
The young man laughed and said, “I gave all that up in college. And if you’re smart, you should throw those beads out the window and start studying some real scientific truth. In fact, I can send you some articles, if you like. Do you know how to read?” “More or less,” the old man answered.
“Good! So where should I send the material?” The old man fumbled in his pocket and then handed over a card. It bore a simple inscription: Louis Pasteur—Paris Institute for Scientific Research. Louis Pasteur was the 19th Century giant of microbiology who proved the germ-theory of disease and invented the rabies vaccine. His humility certainly didn’t hinder him in his scientific field of expertise.
Growing in Humility through Confession
Like all virtues, we grow in humility by exercising it. And there’s no better way than by going to confession regularly. Confession makes absolutely no sense to the arrogant, because they believe that if they aren’t axe murderers or suicide bombers, they’re perfectly fine human beings. But isn’t it interesting that the saints are the ones who use confession the most! St Mother Teresa went to confession every week; Pope Francis goes every week.
The truth is, when we come before the priest, who is GΘD’s official representative, and confess our sins and failings, admitting that we are not GΘD and that we have done damage by giving into self-centered tendencies, we’re giving the virtue of humility an Olympic-style workout. And if we confess regularly, this virtue will help us to be joyful and courageous Christians.
Remember, humility is the only weapon Satan has no defense against. That’s why God used this virtue to defeat the devil on the Cross. And that’s why GΘD wants you to start exercising this virtue every single day of your life.