Humble

“Be humble, be simple and bring joy to others.” St. Madaleine Sophie Barat

Recently, I went on an excursion with my adult students to a local hockey game. They were curious about the sport since many of the international students do not have much experience of the game. Their simplicity was impressive and the way they asked questions was also interesting. I recall my visits to the Carmelites near my home. The sisters live such a simple life – they have llamas, keep bees for honey, tend a garden and sew their own clothes. It is minimalism, but it serves our Lord. Recently, a friend asked about confession because they wanted to get closer to the sacrament but were not sure how. Again, this is something we approach with simplicity and humility because we approach our Lord in this sacrament through the priest. For me, it is important to retain this simplicity, and the lives of the saints help me constantly. 

“A servant is not holy if she is not busy,” St. Zita reminded others. “Laziness in people of our position is fake holiness.”

Three saints or blessed people that came across my readings recently have reminded me of the experiences I had. St. Zita came from a pious family. Her sister became a nun and her uncle a hermit. She was a lowly maid and died in that life of simplicity. She was chided for her ways early on, but many people came to recognize her inner beauty. Saint Benezet of Avignon was a shepherd, an inexperienced teenager who felt a call to go and build a bridge. That was intense work in 1177 since he had little education. Part of that stone bridge remains today as a testament to his trust in our Lord. Blessed Teobaldo Roggeri came from the nobility. He traveled to nearby Alba in Italy and learned to become a cobbler. He took a private vow of chastity. He traveled to Santiago de Compostela and then returned to Italy to work as a porter. He supported the poor with little money he made. Blessed Teobaldo reminds us of the importance of work and again of the importance of living in simplicity. 

“It is love alone that gives worth to all things.” St. Teresa of Avila

I used the word haughty at work once and everyone looked at me. Maybe no one knew what it meant and this made me smile. We live in a world where things are complicated, the media confuses us, and we can get easily distracted or stuck in many things. Our freedom to look at reality and be attracted to beauty can supersede all of that because we are attracted or wounded by beauty, as the Servant of God Father Luigi Giussani said. This attraction, this freedom to follow Christ will continue to draw us closer to Him. The saints I wrote about surely did not have an easy time. No one does once they decide to follow our Lord. Yet, no obstacle can detract us from God’s love. I need to surround myself with people who will bring me forward and not cause me to stagnate. We can always look for great things, but it might help us more to look for greatness in small things. 

“Jesus does not demand great action from us but simply surrender and gratitude.” St. Therese of Lisieux