Grace in being humble

A young lady confided that despite of her being religious,  she still lacks the virtue of humility. Her  ego gets  in the way.  Pride still dominates  her inner being.

It brings to my mind this story,  “There was a man who asked his rabbi why people could not see the face of God. The rabbi, a wise old man and had a lot of experiences in life, replied, “ My son, that is not the way at all. You cannot see the face of God because there are so few who can stoop that low. How sad this is, but it is the truth. Learn to bend, to bow, to kneel and stoop, and you will be able to see God face to face.”

“ It’s hard to be humble,” a lyric of a song goes. It’s truly hard.  However, the wikihow.com has this to say, “Learning to be humble is of paramount importance in dealing with people and in a relationship. If you can develop this great virtue you’ll enjoy more fully  a relationship and be richer in your relationship with others.

Mother Teresa in the book, The Joy In Living, compiled by Jaya Chalike and Edward Le Jolly had this to say,   “Humility always radiates the greatness and glory of God. Through humility we grow in love. Humility is the beginning of sanctity.”

Along this line, Mother Teresa cited the following ways wherein every one can practice humility:

* To speak as little as possible of one’s self.

*To mind one’s own business.

*Not to want to manage other people’s affairs.

*To avoid curiosity.

*To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully.

*To pass over the mistakes of others.

*To accept insults and injuries.

*To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked.

*To be kind and gentle even under provocation.

*Never to stand on one’s dignity.

*To choose always the hardest.

The wikihow.com also has its own view:

*Understand your limitations. No matter how talented you are, there is almost always somebody who can do something better than you do. Look to those who are better and consider their potential for your improvement. Even if you are the best in doing one thing, there are always other things that you cannot do and may never able to do.

*Recognize your own faults. We judge others because it’s a lot easier than looking at ourselves. Unfortunately, it’s also completely unproductive and in many cases harmful judging others. It causes strife in a relationship and prevents forming new relationship.

*Appreciate the talents and qualities of others. Challenge yourself to look at others and appreciate the things they can do  and more generally to appreciate people who they are.

*Help others. A big part of being humble is respecting others, and part of respecting others is helping them. Treat other people as equal and help them because it is the right thing to do. It’s been said that when you can help others who cannot possibly help you in return, you have learned humility.

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If you want someone to talk to about  to  your problems, “Kahupayan  Counselling Center and Pastoral Care for Women/Girls  at Sto. Rosario Church is for you. Its telephone number is  505-3941.

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Email: oysonkathy@yahoo.com.