Humility: The Foundation of Prayer
Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,
Today, the Sacred Scriptures touch on the topic of humility. The reading from the Book of Sirach invites us to “conduct our affairs with humility” and to “humble ourselves the more, the greater we are.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies humility as the foundation of prayer.
Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or “out of the depths” of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought,” are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. “Man is a beggar before God.” (CCC 2559)
God’s word tells us that “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” The Beatitudes reveal an order of happiness and grace, of beauty and peace. Jesus celebrates the joy of the poor, to whom the Kingdom already belongs. St. Gregory of Nyssa speaks of humility as it relates to poverty of spirit.
The Word speaks of voluntary humility as “poverty in spirit”; the Apostle gives an example of God’s poverty when he says: “For your sakes he became poor.”
The Gospel passage for today warns us not to exalt ourselves by expecting places of honor or fame. Rather, the Lord suggests taking the “lowest place.” True humility is not a pathetic denial of the gifts with which God has blessed us, but an unpretentious acknowledgement that they are just that, blessings.
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
