KEVIN
One of the benefits of retirement is the ability to attend Mass on a daily basis. As should be expected, the graces flowing from the Eucharist are nourishing and strengthening. However, another special grace that I have received has come about as I become ever more appreciative of the brief homilies our parish priests are willing to bless us with each day. Each of our priests seems to share something different in terms of perspective. Whether it’s the pastor’s efforts to help us to understand Church teaching and its history, or the retired pastor’s wonderful way of helping us to understand the transforming power of Christ’s love present in our daily lives, each of our priests encourages and challenges me to think differently and to seek a better understanding of who Jesus is and who He wants me to be.
Humble as Children?
The latest thought provoker to join us is our new associate pastor, assigned to our parish fresh from seminary. Although young in years, he is obviously very wise and learned. He has already demonstrated the ability to encourage me to take a fresh look at how I see the world, sometimes by saying things that at first blush don’t seem to make sense to me.
In one of his homilies last week he was reflecting on the virtue of humility. He called on us to be “as humble as children.” My immediate reaction was “What? Children humble? That doesn’t compute with my experience at all.” As I reflected on our current situation of living with our three little grandchildren ages 2,4 and 6, I was having a hard time to use the word “humble” as describing their behavior. While these little ones are absolutely delightful and well-behaved children, at least the 2 and 4 year olds would like to have you believe the universe should revolve around them. That’s not my idea of humility.
But knowing that Jesus loved the little children and the fact that Father Robinson was usually so insightful, I began to contemplate the question of how I might actually see our little darlings as God’s humble little creatures. As I thought about their daily existence, it didn’t take long for my mind to be filled with examples of how dependent they were for absolutely everything. I thought of their dear mother who cooks every meal, cleans their clothes and is constantly comforting them from even the smallest of physical or emotional injury. They need to ask permission for the food they want to eat, the times they may play outside, and when they are going to be told to clean up, bathe, and go to bed. It quickly became apparent to me that their humility has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with dependence. These children need their dear mother for almost everything. As they get a little older you can see they desire independence yet recognize that they can’t necessarily do much on their own. They may not realize it but their need is real and their need is pure.
We Can’t Go it Alone
“I need” is a most humbling statement. It tells us at some level that we are not equipped to handle whatever circumstance we are facing. “I need” means that I must reach out to one who is superior to myself in knowledge, skills, wisdom or ability to work through one challenge or another. For little children, humility then becomes an ever-present reality. In that way they truly have it over us. The world would have us believe that humility is a function of ego, not of reality. We are encouraged in Western culture to pursue a positive self esteem and total self-reliance. Wow! Good luck with that. While there is merit in moving in that general direction, setting forth such an unattainable goal of fierce independence will inevitably lead us to sadness, frustration and perhaps even despair as we come to the inevitable realization that we can’t go it alone. There should be little wonder why so many more people are seeking counseling or even contemplating suicide these days.
We Need Support
Life can be challenging at times. For some, the challenges can go on for a long period of time. At some time in our lives, we all have had the experience of coming to depend on one thing or another. Some dependencies can be positive, like the example of children depending on their parents for proper care. Others can become dependent on another person, some on drugs, alcohol, pornography or other addictive practices to help to face day to day life.
Ultimately, those that look for dependence in this way often find that all of those things ultimately fail to provide the peace they are seeking for their souls. Fortunately for us, our Catholic faith provides us with the means to live a humble life in a healthy way, where we believe that we can depend on God for our needs. By turning our life over to Him, we can declare our real and pure need like God’s little children knowing that He will always bring us a measure of comfort for that which troubles us. Sure, as adults, we can feed ourselves, look after our hygiene and move about in the world. Yet we are not immune to the pains, struggles, and disappointments that are an inevitable part of life on earth. Just like our little grandchildren who run to their mother for comfort, we need to run to our Father in heaven in our times of need.
So I have to say a little prayer of thanksgiving to Father Robinson for his valuable lesson in humility. Not only did he challenge me to think differently about our little grandchildren, but he helped me to see how I need to look at all of my brothers and sisters in the world.
People Need Us
I have come to recognize that the world would have us look at others in the context of their wants and their utility to us. How often this leads to the attitude that these ‘others’ are not deserving of our assistance. Yet in the spirit of humility and true Christian love, we are invited to see their expression of need and respond with generous and compassionate hearts and hands.
Much as I can’t resist the pleading hands of my four-year-old granddaughter who needs to be picked up so that she can see what’s going on at the altar over the top of the heads of all the grownups, I have to be more open to the true needs of the poor, the immigrants and the vulnerable. I am learning that rather than hearing them say “I deserve” or “I have a right,” I need to be open to understand that all they are humbly seeking to communicate is “ I need help.” When we get down on our knees we know that our God will never withhold His grace of mercy and healing when we humbly approach Him as one of His children with our true and pure needs. In my prayer, I ask for the graces to live as a true child of God and follow His lead in showing mercy and kindness to those in our world today who are in need.
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