Virtue of Humility

The gospel reading for today, October 24, is a good example of how we need to be humble (Luke 18:9-14). In the gospel, we see a Pharisee and a tax collector who go into the temple area to pray. The Pharisee thanks God that he is not like the rest of humanity, while the tax collector acknowledges his sinfulness and asks the Lord for mercy. It was in the 1950's that then-Bishop Fulton J. Sheen had his weekly television series. In one of the broadcasts he spoke about the virtue of humility. He emphasized that, rather than requiring us to deny our gifts and talents, the virtue of humility demands that we gratefully own up to them - but that we recognize that they come from God and are meant to be share in the service of others. True, we have played a major role in developing our talents and abilities, but we did not choose them or obtain them for ourselves. They are gifts and the credit for them must go to God (Saint Anthony Press). According to the commentator, "Humility, along with truth, helps us view ourselves in right relationship with God, self and others. It helps us put things into proper perspective. It helps us recognize that what we have is all a gift from God to be used for and shared with others." A beautiful thought on being humble, everything we have comes from God, we need to thank Him and use those gifts and resources for His glory and the good of others. Have a blessed day!!!