The Gospel reveals Our Blessed Lord’s desire for us to pray with a humble heart. The Lord never despises a poor, contrite and humble heart. Rather He resists the proud and gives grace and mercy to the humble. The parable represents two opposite types. The Pharisee, who is meticulous, about the external fulfillment of the law. And the tax collector, who in fact, is a public sinner.
The Pharisee’s prayer is not pleasing to God. Although he begins by thanking God, he lacks true gratitude. His pride causes him to be self-centered and to despise others. He boasts about all the good he has done and fails to recognize his sins. He regards himself as self-righteous, and doesn’t see his need of pardon. He remains in his sinful state, and so, he is blind. His guilt remains, and so walks away unjustified.
The tax collector, however, recognizes his unworthiness, and is sincerely sorry for his sins. He has the necessary dispositions for God to truly pardon him. His prayer, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” wins God’s forgiveness.
There are 17 evidences of a lack of humility, they are: 1. To think that one says or does is better than what others say or do. 2. To always want to get your own way. 3. To argue with stubbornness and bad manners whether you are right or wrong. 4. To give your opinion when it is not requested or when charity does not demand it. 5. To look down on another’s point of view. 6. Not to look on your own gifts and abilities as coming from God and to not be thankful for our gifts and talents and attribute them to our self. 7. To use yourself as an example in conversations. 8. To speak badly of yourself so that others will think well of you. 9. To excuse yourself when you are corrected. 10. To hide humiliating faults so that others will have a good impression of you. 11. To take pleasure in praise and compliments and desire to receive them. 12. To desire to be served, rather than to serve. 13. To be saddened because others are held in higher esteem than you. 14. To refuse to perform lowly tasks. 15. To seek to stand out. 16. If you refer in conversation about your own honesty, intelligence, abilities, or professional prestige. 17. To be ashamed because you lack certain goods.
The Virgin Mary gives us an example of humility. The first effect of humility of heart is a lowly opinion of oneself. Mary always had such a humble opinion of herself that, as was revealed to Saint Matilda, although she saw herself enriched with more graces than all other people, she never put herself ahead of anyone.
Humility is truth, as Saint Teresa of Avila remarks, and Mary knew that she had never offended God. She also knew that she had received more graces from God than all other creatures. A humble heart always acknowledges the special favors of the Lord in order to humble itself all the more. But the Blessed Mother, because of the greater light which made her aware of the infinite greatness and goodness of God, was also aware of her own nothingness. That is why she humbled herself more than everybody else.
The Blessed Virgin was always vividly conscious of the majesty of God and her own nothingness. She told Saint Elizabeth of Hungary that she looked upon herself as a worthless creature and unworthy of the grace of God. And that is why Saint Bernadine says that "after the Son of God, no one in the whole world was ever so exalted as Mary, because no one ever humbled himself to the extent that She did."
It is characteristic of humility to conceal heavenly gifts. Mary wished to conceal from Saint Joseph the favor which made her the Mother of God. And so She did not tell Joseph, that She had become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Instead, She waited until the angel told Joseph in a dream.
A soul that is truly humble does not allow her-self to be praised. And if praises are showered on her, she refers them all to God. Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord...He who is mighty has done great things for me.”
It is also characteristic of humility to serve others. Mary did not hesitate to go to help Her Elizabeth for three months during her pregnancy with John the Baptist.
Humble persons choose the least honorable places for themselves. Therefore, as Saint Bernard remarks, "when Jesus was preaching in a house (as we learn in Saint Matthew), Mary, wishing to speak to him, would not enter of her own accord but remained outside, and did not avail herself of her maternal right to interrupt him."
The sincerely humble do not look for favor. In fact, love to be despised. That is why Mary did not show herself in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when the people received Jesus with so much honor. On the other hand, at His death, She did not hesitate to appear on Calvary.
O Most Blessed Lady, help me to have a low opinion of myself and to realize that humility is truth. Grant, O most gracious Virgin, that I may be conscious of the majesty of God and of my own nothingness. Inspire me to conceal any heavenly gifts, which God in His goodness may bestow upon me. Do not, O Sweet Mother, allow me to desire to be praised! May I serve others with a humble heart like yours. I choose to take the least of all places. May I not desire to be favored but rather love to be despised and please assist me in meditating and imitating your humility, you who are the most incomprehensible of all creatures.
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