Humility the key to our real greatness

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THIS was clearly spelled out by Christ when he told his disciples who were asking him who the greatest is in the kingdom of heaven: “Amen, I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18,3-4)

This is, of course, a challenge for all of us. We have to learn how to remain humble, simple and childlike in spirit even as we age and mature, and gain a lot of experience in life. We have to remember that only when we have spiritual childhood that we can expect God to reveal himself to us. That’s what Christ clearly said:

“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” (Mt 11,25)

We have to be wary of our tendency to think and act as if we need God less the more we gain worldly knowledge and wisdom. What should ideally happen is that the more knowledgeable and wise we get, the more humble and simple like a child we should be.

To be childlike, of course, has its share of weaknesses, but what is obvious is that to be like a child is to be innocent, to be bereft of malice, of bad intentions and bad thoughts. These ideals should be pursued by us. These qualities make us have the simplicity of a child.

When we remain humble and simple as a child, it would be easier for us to follow what Christ told us about what is involved in following him: to deny ourselves and to carry the cross. (cfr. Mt 16,24)

It’s also when we remain humble and simple as a child that we can manage to be with Christ, to assume his spirit in all the situations and conditions of our earthly life. During the good times when we would have successes and victories, we would not get spoiled and corrupted. And during the bad times, we may be sorrowful but not sad, never losing hope.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of this virtue of humility. It is what preserves whatever goodness we have, whatever we have received from God. And if we happen to lose that goodness, it is also this virtue that helps us to recover it.

We need to understand that humility involves giving our will to the will of God. It is a giving away that actually is not a loss at all but an immense gain for us. That’s because that is how we have been created, how we have been designed. Without God, like a branch cut off from the vine, we just die and are capable only of doing evil.

And precisely because Christ did only what his Father commanded him to do, he managed to recover us from the state of sin and restore us to the state of grace. How truly important it is to be humble. It is what would enable us to obey God’s will, and to do so irrespective of the great cost in terms of suffering it may involve.

We need to do everything to grow in this virtue every day. Let’s never take it for granted, for many now are the occasions when we are tempted to be on our own, to fall into pride and blinding egoism.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com