a little study of humility

There is more value in a little study of humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world.

St. Teresa of Avila put to pen this truth.

St. Charles of Sezze arrived on the Italian scene about 50 years after St. Teresa experienced her reconversion and began reforming the Carmelites. Reading his autobiography reminds the soul of just how invaluable is humility.

And humility is wrought from obedience.

In our day and age, how does a lay person gain humility through obedience? One way would be to read about humility. St. Teresa wrote of the spiritual life, and St. Charles of Sezze's autobiography is chuck-full of humble actions, described--yes, humbly described.

After having done some reading, one can do some observing. Observing brings into play the good aspects of judging and critical thinking. What actions of humans constitute humility? It becomes easier to notice true humility from false, to notice genuine modesty, peacefulness, selfless and hidden charity, as well as that underlying sense of obedience.

To whom may I be obedient, for if I must learn humility, obedience is foundational to the study and acquisition of that virtue known as the "threshhold of the faith." Ah, humility!

I am obedient to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. How? Through obedience to the Church of which Jesus is the Head. I am to be obedient to the Commandments, to the Beatitudes, to the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, to the teaching Church, to the evangelical counsels which include obedience.

I am obedient to the wisdoms of the prophets, the apostles, to the Mother of God, Mary most holy, to the saints, to the priests and bishops and Vicar of Christ. I must also be obedient to my guardian angel and to my parents, when they were responsible for me. I must be obedient to teachers when in school and to employers when at work. Now, in this realm of the living ones, there is one caution, and that is, of course, obedience if the person leading is not advising one to sin. In that case, one should not be obedient, obviously. And that case rarely happens.

Consider those dark souls, sadly to briefly ponder, who teach wrong thoughts or encourage illicit behavior. The listener in this situation should not be obedient, and most--even the very young--really do know not to do something sinful, even if an adult advises it. More than likely, when we sin as a result of another's advice, it is that we have wanted to do something wrong or wrongly pleasurable to the senses because we can actually use the person advising us as a scapegoat.

Now, who in this case, is at greater fault?

Back to obedience in the positive direction, I can be obedient in very small ways, such as in listening carefully at Mass. This morning two older women behind me fussed when the priest spoke more than they thought he should. I could hear their disgust in comments. At the conclusion of Mass they verbally complained about his having us sing two verses and refrains to a hymn rather than just one. I quietly turned to them at the sign of peace and say quietly, "Patience be with you." For patience brings peace, doesn't it?

However, this was not obedience to the Church, on my part--to the liturgy. I am to say "Peace" or "Peace be with you," and not use that time to quietly fraternally correct. Rather, the "patience" was a good reminder to me, for I needed patience with the disruptive, rude duo. Later confession helped me understand the role of obedience, humbly so, in this situation.

Obedience is a form of respect. I am obedient, waiting for my daughter to call to let me know if they are coming to visit or if I am to drive to their city to visit. In this way, obedience is simply following directions and requests of others. St. Charles of Sezze mastered this well!

Obedience develops not only patience but also long-suffering capabilities. Obedience helps drive out self-love, and self-love needs to be driven out over and over and over much as Jesus had to drive out the money changers in the Temple when they thought more of themselves than of the House of God and worshippers there.

Obedience develops many other fine aspects of the person and soul. My daughter, a few months ago, pointed out to me that I follow the rules. I suppose she didn't mean it in a positive sense, as what I was following seemed unnecessary to her at the time. But, it meant something to me in obedience, and I do believe it meant something to others around who I was supporting, and to God, very much so. It was humbling, though, to be considered picayunish.

The practice of obedience, honed through obedience in details as well as major concerns, develops not only a knowledge of humility but humility itself. And humility increases faith, and humble faith is imbued by hope, and thus one is enabled toward holy love.

Obedience trains the soul in humility. Love consists in scraping gooey gum off the Cathedral parking lot in obedience to the charity God asks of us in anticipation of heaven.