Humility is Walking in Truth and Self Knowledge

This week, we are reminded to be gentle and humble.

Why is humility so important?

St Thomas Aquinas explains that pride is the beginning of all sins and also the fall of Lucifer. He says that pride (hubris) turns men away from God to glorify themselves.

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels." St. Aquinas

St Augustine tells us that the only way to God is humility-“If you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility.”

St. Vincent de Paul adds that humility is the “most powerful weapon to conquer the devil”. The devil dwells in pride and does not how to use it nor ‘defend himself’ from it.  

What is humility?

According to Aquinas, “Humility means seeing ourselves as God sees us: knowing every good we have comes from Him as pure gift” (Summa Q161). We see ourselves through the lens of God and not of the world. We then learn to be grateful for the things we have and acknowledge everything we have comes from God.

St Theresa of Avila in Book of Her life, explains humility as walking in truth and self-knowledge. She says as we get closer to God, we become aware of our sinfulness and our limitations but because we enter into His greatness- His infinite love, mercy and goodness, we are liberated and thus experience peace and joy.  

 C. S Lewis quotes “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Humility detaches us from our selfish egos. True humility is relying completely on God in everything and in every circumstance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church(2559) explains “ humility is the foundation of prayer… Man is a beggar before God.“

St.Theresa of Avila further explains that there is no love without humility and no humility without love and both need detachment- detach ourselves from all that draws us away from Christ.

“Humility drew the King from heaven to the womb of the Virgin, and with it, by one hair, we will draw him to our souls. And realize that the one who has more humility will be the one who possesses him more; and the one who has less will possess him less. For I cannot understand how there could be humility without love or love without humility; nor are these two virtues possible without detachment from all creatures (WP 16.2).”