What is your concept of humility?

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I’m usuallly long winded ,but as I see it Humility can be summed up as follows " I can’t ,God can."
 
I think humility was well-defined by Bill Wilson, late co-founder of AA. When writing on step 7 for the 12 X 12 book, he wrote that humility was having a clear understanding of where I am today in my spiritual development, a clear understanding of where I could be if I completely gave my will and my life over to the care of a Power Greater than me, and recognizing the difference between the two.

🙂

Today is my 13th stobriety birthday - I am a teenager again!
:dancing:
 
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ElijahsSpirit:
I’m usuallly long winded ,but as I see it Humility can be summed up as follows " I can’t ,God can."
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…hello there ElijahsSpirit…I too am usually overly winded…but… Hear! Hear!:bounce: to your post…

Regards - Barb
South Australia
Thur 5.5.05 5.07am
 
Jenlyn said:
:amen: A prideful heart has no place in heaven!
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…I thank you, Lord, for Purgatory! else surely I would be lost! …

Regards Barb
South Australia
Thur.5.5.05 5.15am
 
Pride consists in saying to God:

NON SERVIAM! – I will not serve!

Humility is the opposite. It means to live always with the thought:

YOU ARE THE LORD.

YOU ARE THE LORD.

YOU ARE THE LORD.
 
My concept of humility is dealing with my two sister-in-laws!!! Yeaks!
 
I just read in Divine Mercy that the devil can mask himself in false humility but he could never obey. I found that interesting…

Christ is risen…truly He is risen!
Shoshana
 
APOLOGIES
I have put a post into this thread, but will be absent from my desk more of less for the next 48 hours, after which I will return to Catholic Answers Forum and endeavour to catch up with any thread I may have started or threads where I may have contributed a post to catch up with happenings, as well as new posts and threads in the various forums…………or such is my plan!

I apologize for this necessity.

There are a few points as I recall in different posts in this thread on our concepts of humility I want to catch up with if I can.

Regards smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/11/11_12_11.gif
Barb – Bethany, South Australia
Monday 9.5.05 Within Octave of Ascension
9.10pm
smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/7/7_6_6v.gif %between%
 
It has been said that the poverty and HUMILITY of Francis of Assisi can never be surpassed, if one can you will be Like Jesus (GOD) when he wason earth and then would be impossible I guess.

Yes talking very little of yourself and your achievemts, unless absolutely required for job or some duty
 
Also one can read the lives of Saint

Remember it was pride that made devils out of Angels, and it is Humility that can make Angels out of Devils.

Humility is the opposit of Pride and the more and more Humble we can get the nearer and nearer to God we will be.
 
Humility, in my opinion, isnt about putting ones self down, or even lowering self esteem levels. I see it more as a self denial type of thing. Not being prideful nor vain really…but also giving ones whole self to god. Putting 100% trust and faith.
 
quintin gomes:
It has been said that the poverty and HUMILITY of Francis of Assisi can never be surpassed, if one can you will be Like Jesus (GOD) when he wason earth and then would be impossible I guess.

Yes talking very little of yourself and your achievemts, unless absolutely required for job or some duty
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Code:
I would like to share what Fr Groeschel wrote about St Francis which also is inspiring in how to act humbly (for me):

God inspired me, too, and still inspires with with such great faith in priests who live according to the laws of the holy Church of Rome, because of their dignity, that if they persecuted me, I should still be ready to turn to them for aid. And if I were as wise as Solomon and met the poorest priests of the world, I would still refuse to preach against their will in the parishes in which they live. I am determined to reverence, love and honour priests and all others as my superiors. I refuse to consider their sins because I can see the Son of God in them and they are better than I. I do this because in this world I cannot see the most high Son of God with my own eyes, except for his most holy Body and Blood which they receive and they alone administer to others.

Arise from Darkness,
Fr Bebedict Groschel

Blessings,
Shoshana
 
Dear Shoshana! Thank you for your inspirational message. Bless you!

Love & peace in Christ,
Bob
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Shoshana:
Code:
I would like to share what Fr Groeschel wrote about St Francis which also is inspiring in how to act humbly (for me):

God inspired me, too, and still inspires with with such great faith in priests who live according to the laws of the holy Church of Rome, because of their dignity, that if they persecuted me, I should still be ready to turn to them for aid. And if I were as wise as Solomon and met the poorest priests of the world, I would still refuse to preach against their will in the parishes in which they live. I am determined to reverence, love and honour priests and all others as my superiors. I refuse to consider their sins because I can see the Son of God in them and they are better than I. I do this because in this world I cannot see the most high Son of God with my own eyes, except for his most holy Body and Blood which they receive and they alone administer to others.

Arise from Darkness,
Fr Bebedict Groschel

Blessings,
Shoshana
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BlindSheep:
What a beautiful quote. Thank you for posting it.
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Hi there Blind Sheep…just ducking back into CAL for a few minutes grabbed here and there I hope to stay in contact with unfoldings…if you are referring to the Thomas Merton quote…for me he is the mystic who put the language of mysticism into 20th/21st terms… if you go to the link on my quote, you will be able to register to have weekly quotes from Tom emailed to you…sadly, Thomas Merton is now dec’d but left behind him a mountain of writings.
He was an American writer who entered the Benedictine Capuchin Order of monks…under obedience he continued to write …although reluctantly but obediently.
He has written many books indeed and many on the mystical road and prayer … these books are readily available and usually cheap (here in Sth. Aussie anyway)…and an excellent starting point is “On Opening The Bible” and also his autobiographical works. But there is almost a mountain of work to select from!..

Send regards
Barb at Bethany South Australia
Thur. 12 th. May, 2005
 
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misericordie:
Does not mean putting yourself down NOR AS ONE YOUNG IGNORANT NUN SAID, (SHE SAID IT IS TO WALK WITH YOUR HEAD DOWN) rather, it is to know that GOD is in charge, to submit to his will, and to recognize BOTh our weak and strong side.
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Hi to you misericordie, somewhere in the US of A…I am not too sure of your point, and forgive me this …but if you are referring to the quote from Thomas Merton…I think he is making a statement about the result in the person of knowing t hat God is indeed in charge and submitting joyfully and with recognition of His Will and indeed to recognize both our weak and strong side.

I am hoping that I may have purely by accident grasped your point and responded adequately to it…

Regards
Barb at Bethany in South Australia
Thur. 12.5.05 1 1.21 am
 
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Joysong:
Dear Miseri,

Because I have been reading extensively in the *Imitation of Christ *and am familiar with its contents, and because I have seen you once again publicly voice your indignation with religious in the above post (in upper case lettering), I thought it might be a good idea to post a pertinent chapter for you to think over. What good does it do to point out that nuns or priests have been amiss?
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Miseri, I realize this message sent in pure kindness will possibly offend you, though it is not intended to do so. I bring healing and hope that, like King David in the Old Testament who said it was forbidden him to speak a word against “the Lord’s anointed” (Saul), you may come to know God’s truth regarding this, and peacefully rest your heart.

Carole

Hi there Carole and also Teresa who responded to you…we meet again, dear friends…

I just wanted to add that if one walks with one’s head down, remembering humility…reflecting on it or perhaps praying …it is a little personal liturgy of humility or can become such. I walk habitually almost with my head down and I am praying. Many of us suffer I tend to think with the “tall poppy syndrom” re our priests and nuns and yes, consistenly picking them apart for their humanity…and not on! (we should not do this…‘not on’ another Aussie-ism!)…
We need to remind ourselves too that every lay person is called to the heights of holiness and not only priests and nuns. I like to say that if we set about criticizing others (and I too am guilty of such)…then the rubbish tin in our own backyards will probably blow up! …i.e. “before you remove the splinter in your brother’s eye, remove the log in your own!”…and as I reflect on those words of Jesus’, then I realize just how much a sinner I am desperately in need of His Help and His Mercy.
My strong point may well be my brother’s weak point…and my weak point his strength…
The Lord provides for His Church and my gifts are yours and yours are mine…The Mystical Body of Christ, The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church … and our separated bretheren baptized into Christ and all of goodwill…

I too am familiar with The Imitation of Christ and have a well worn copy here in Bethany…I also can get into with joy -* The Cloud of Unknowing*…

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…and now sadly I must be off again until I can clutch another time to happily come back to CAL for a while…to learn, to grow, hopefully and also I hope to contribute here and there…
**
Regards
Barb in Bethany in South Australia
Thur. 11t h. May 2005 11.49am

CATCHA! …another Aussie-ism for see you soon I hope…
 
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misericordie:
Does not mean putting yourself down NOR AS ONE YOUNG IGNORANT NUN SAID, (SHE SAID IT IS TO WALK WITH YOUR HEAD DOWN) rather, it is to know that GOD is in charge, to submit to his will, and to recognize BOTh our weak and strong side.
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Hi there Misericordie…interesting statement…

… I think Humility is born of indeed knowing God is in charge, to sumbit to His Will and to know our strengths and weaknesses…and interestingly enough…to walk with our head down!!! (bowed before a Power And Authority we cannot comprehend!) … perhaps the young Sister was not so ignorant…only her hearers!..perhaps!

Regards
Barb smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_12_2.gif
Bethany South Australia
31.5.05 St. Justin PFU 8.42pm
 
Here is a concept of Humility that appeals to me. It is a poster on Bethany’s walls and is taken from Nelson Manela’s inaugural speech as President of Sth. Africa. There is no link to quote as it was not taken from the internet in this case, although it may well be on the internet somewhere:…

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to shine…
*Actually, who are you to to shine?.. *
We are children of God.
Our playing small DOES NOT SERVE THE WORLD.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people wont feel insecure around us.
We are born TO MANIFEST THE GLORY OF GOD THAT IS WITHIN US.

It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone

And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
Our presence will automatically liberate others."

The above states its case
Reveals its positive aspect correcting a negative
And points to its harvest

It is entirely positive, not negative, and gives glory and thanks to God Alone…and could have been mistaken I think as coming from Thomas Merton, not Nelson Mandela, who surely spoke the words first.
The results of my poll to date are interesting and I’ll have a closer look at some later point for my own analysis and post into this thread my thoughts.

Regards, Barb smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_10_4.gif
Bethany South Australia
31.5.05 - St. Justine PFU
9.04PM
 
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