Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex

Here is a good article that most might not otherwise see, by Msgr. Stuart Swetland:

During the semester, I regularly meet with the student leaders at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One of the things we discuss at each session is the attributes and requirements of authentic leadership. We look at various aspects of leadership like authority, responsibility, and accountability. One thing that our reflections routinely reveal about Christian leadership is the need for humility and the desire to serve.

Jesus teaches His disciples that their leadership must be different from that of the Roman Empire:

You know how among the Gentiles those who seem to exercise authority lord it over them; their great ones make their authority felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you must serve the needs of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:42-45).

In Matthew’s version of this teaching, Jesus also says: “whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12).

But what does it mean to be humble? Humility is a virtue, and like almost every virtue it stands as a golden mean between two extremes, both of which are vices. To have too little humility is the vice of pride–the belief that I do not need God, that I am good enough as I am, that others should bend to me and my will. Pride has an exaggerated view of oneself or one’s accomplishments. To have too much humility is to fall into the vice of false humility–to hold the mistaken view that I am worthless, of no real value, unable to accomplish or be anything.

Humility stands between the vices of pride and false humility. As St. Theresa of Avila says, “humility is truth.” Against pride’s lie, humble persons correctly acknowledge their sinfulness and their need for God. They recognize that all their opportunities and talents, that even their very lives are gifts from God. As Paul writes, “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” (Rom 3:23), and according to John, “If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar” (1 Jn 1:10). Humble people recognize their need for repentance, forgiveness, and healing. Humble people know the truth that without God they can do nothing (cf. Jn 15:5).

But over against the vice of false humility, the humble also know that they are not worthless, that they have been created in the image and of likeness of God, that they are unique and of infinite worth, capable of becoming like unto God by becoming like unto Christ (cf. Gal 2:20). Emphasis on this truth helped make the self-esteem movement very popular a few decades ago. We needed to hear that each of us and all of us have an inestimable worth.

Humility unmasks the superficiality of the “I’m ok, you’re ok” mentality. Deep down, each of us knows we are not entirely ok. We are all sinners in need of salvation. Jesus cannot be our Lord and Savior unless we recognize that we need to be saved. So I know I’m not ok (and you’re not ok), but that’s ok because Jesus has come to heal us, restore us, and set us free.

Moreover, even if you and I were indeed ok, that would not be ok, because God wants more for us than that. In fact he is pretty emphatic about this: “I know your deeds. I know you are neither hot nor cold. How I wish you were one or the other - hot or cold! But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth!” (Rev 3:15-16).

Jesus does not call us to be simply ok, He calls us to greatness, to perfection (cf. Mt 5:48). No one in heaven is just ok. One of the things that makes heaven heavenly is that everyone in heaven is perfected. There are only saints in heaven. God wishes to perfect and exalt us. This begins when we humbly accept our need for His transforming power of healing and restoration.