"My son, perform your tasks in meekness. . . . The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favour in the sight of the Lord. (Sir. 3:17).
The word "humility" comes from the Latin word humilitas, which in turn is derived from the Latin word humus, which means the earth. This means that humility consists in keeping oneself within one’s own bounds. Desiderius Erasmus, a humanist of 15th century wrote: “Humility is Truth”. And St Theresa of Avila, a mystic Catholic nun echoed the same thought about a century later: “Humility is living in Truth”. It only shows that there is a strong bond between humility and truthfulness: being humble means being truthful – truthfulness towards God, towards others and towards oneself.
Truthful towards God:
Humility is recognising and acting on our total dependence on God. We recognise that every good thing that we are blessed with comes from God. A humble person knows who and what he is in front of God who controls his every moment, every movement, every speech, and every breath. The humble person, like a little child, surrenders himself to the all-powerful, benevolent and loving God.
Truthful towards others:
A humble person recognises the worth, dignity and goodness of others. He considers everyone as a child of God and having the same dignity as he himself has. He respects their rights, viewpoints and opinions. A humble person is kind towards others.
Truthful towards oneself:
A humble person knows who he is and who he is not. He knows his strengths as well as his weaknesses. He does not hide his strength, but uses them for building a better world and enhancing the quality of life around him. He also recognises his weaknesses and limitations and works on them to turn them into strengths.
All heroes whom the world honours today were known for their humility. They achieved greatness by being truthful to God, to others and to themselves. Today, however, for many people, humility is not considered a virtue, but a weakness. A humble person is considered spineless, and a failure in life. Jesus said: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12)
