Spiritual Pilgrimage: Embracing Humility
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This blog post is part of a series reflecting on our spiritual pilgrimage in life. You can find the original post here: Spiritual Pilgrimage: Journeying Towards Selfless Love
In our spiritual pilgrimage towards holiness, humility stands as a cornerstone, a virtue of profound significance in our faith. It is the antidote to the deadly sin of pride. Rooted in the recognition of our dependence on God and our interconnectedness with others, humility calls us to embrace a posture of selflessness and servanthood. In this blog post, we delve into the essence of humility from a Christian perspective, exploring its importance in our journey toward spiritual growth and holiness. One of my personal challenges to spiritual growth is my need to control outcomes, plan, and carefully structure work and personal life. Spiritual growth requires a degree of surrendering to God, trust and reliance on divine providence, and an openness to be guided in unexpected ways. Growing in the virtue of humility helps us surrender to God like children.
Understanding Humility:
Humility, often misunderstood as weakness or self-deprecation, is, in fact, a virtue of great strength and wisdom. As St. Augustine beautifully articulated, “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues; hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist, there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” At its core, humility is about recognizing our true worth in the eyes of God, acknowledging our limitations, and surrendering our will to his divine providence. St Mother Teresa was humble, always relying on divine providence to help her achieve her mission, but she was far from weak. She was persistent with anyone whom she needed to help the poor.
Central to understanding humility is looking to the life of Jesus Christ, the epitome of humility. Philippians 2:3-4 exhorts us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” In Christ, we see humility personified—a willingness to empty himself, take on the form of a servant, and ultimately, to lay down his life for the sake of others. Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity, humbly and willingly submitted himself to torture and death to redeem our sins. His example serves as a guiding light on our pilgrimage journey, illuminating the path of humility we are called to walk.
Humility is not merely a desirable trait but an essential aspect of our spiritual growth and journey toward holiness. It fosters a spirit of openness and receptivity to God’s grace, allowing him to work in and through us. Pope Francis remarked, “Humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong.” In humbling ourselves before God and others, we become vessels of his love and instruments of his peace, transforming our hearts and the world around us.
Reflection Questions
1. How can I embrace humility today while walking this pilgrimage of life, acknowledging my limitations, and recognizing the beauty in serving others?
2. In the challenges I face on this journey, this week and this day, how can I respond with humility, seeking strength from God rather than relying solely on my abilities?
Fostering humility requires intentional actions and behaviors that cultivate a spirit of openness, self-awareness, and service. Here are some practical steps we can take to foster humility in our lives:
Pray for Humility: Regularly pray for the grace to grow in humility and to emulate the humility of Christ. Surrender your will to God’s guidance and ask for his help in cultivating a humble heart that seeks his glory above all else.
Practice Gratitude: Cultivate a habit of gratitude by regularly reflecting on the blessings in your life and expressing thanks to God and others. Recognizing the goodness bestowed upon us fosters humility by acknowledging our dependence on God and the generosity of others. I have developed a habit of focusing on gratitude while I shower, associating the water with all the blessings in my life.
Serve Others: Engage in acts of service and kindness towards others today, without seeking recognition or reward. Volunteer in your family, community, or church, lend a helping hand to those in need, and practice compassion and empathy in your interactions. Serving others with humility reflects Christ’s example of selfless love and fosters a spirit of humility in our hearts.
By actively engaging in these actions and behaviors, we can foster humility in our lives and walk more closely in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who humbled himself for the sake of love.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, meek and humble of heart, help me to imitate your humility and serve others with a humble heart. Grant me the grace to recognize my dependence on you and to value others above myself. May humility guide my steps on this spiritual pilgrimage, drawing me closer to you and to the service of others. May I walk humbly with you. Amen.
