Humility

http://p067.ezboard.com/where-is-this-commanded-in-scripture/fthetruth11187frm2.showMessage?topicID=936.topic


I was on the Final Authority message board the other day, when I saw this picture of Pope John Paul II kissing some one's foot. As usual they are berating and ridiculing the Pope and Catholics. Fore example two people made the following comments, “I know a certain body part the pope can kiss before I'd ever bow to him....” “It's interesting how Catholicism exalt man. Sheesh! What a bunch of doofuses!” There is a valuable lesson to be learned from this thread. This thread demonstrates a trap that Christians can fall into, the trap of pride and arrogance. Pride because we have the corner on truth, arrogance because we are superior to everyone else because of that truth. Humility is the only way to avoid this trap of spiritual superiority

I am now 42 and in all my years of being around the non-catholic church I have never seen such dedication to living humbly as I see demonstrated in the Catholic Church. I have heard many non-Catholics quote scriptures about humility and preach sermons on humility but I have never seen it demonstrated the way the Catholic Church does. The Catholic Church has a real sense of the importance of humility. For instance, great men like Pope John Paul II, acting as a servant for the masses. I have read about great saints who always are treating others as greater than themselves. I have just not seen this kind of selfless humility out side of the Catholic Church. I have never seen a great man of authority humbling himself by washing and kissing someone’s foot. This is an act of a servant, not of a great man of power. However, this is how the Christian should act. We are to be like Christ and be humble servants of this world. The first shall be last. Seeing this picture and reading the comments by the people at this ezboard brought home to me this fact. Christian’s are humble people who treat others with respect and honor.

Whether a street person or the Pope they all should feel respected and loved. In contrast the comments on this thread show us the trap Christians can fall into. When they give into the flesh and start seeing people through the worldly lens of pride and arrogance. This arrogance sees others as inferior. This trap is one that any one can fall into. I am as likely to fall into the trap of spiritual arrogance as anyone else. When we start looking down on others because they are not as religious or pious as we are is when we become susceptible to this trap. It is easy to become arrogant and prideful when we think that we have the truth and we stop seeing people as Christ saw them. We stop seeing people with love and start looking at how great we are compared to those lesser people. It is when we forget to act with humility and love that we become susceptible to this trap. It is when we only talk about humility and forget to practice humility that we fall into the trap of arrogance. The Catholic Church does not just preach about humility they actually practice it.

Like in this photo; were the head of our church is showing us what humility looks like. He is demonstrating for us humility that Christ our lord expects of us. The righteous person places others before themselves. They are show humility in what they say and how they act. I believe firmly that humility is required of us as Christians. For Christ was humble, Jesus who was God served man kind. If as a Christian I can not serve man kind then what kind of follower of Christ am I? This thread answers that question for us. Do I act arrogantly and belittle those who I disagree with or don’t understand. Or do I humble my self and become the servant that Christ has called me to be. By showing and living humbly I show love to my fellow man and to God.