Humility (Tuesday, Week 19, Year 2, St Clare, Aug. 11)

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It is said that TRUTH IS BITTER. We can testify that truth is actually a pill too bitter to take. What makes it bitter? When it is spoken, it confronts. It confronts because its main aim is to pull people out from their comfort zones of sin and complacency to the challenge zone of striving to be better. But often, we want to remain where we are: we want to continue with that lifestyle which does us no good. I think a factor that explains this common attitude is PRIDE. Often, we don’t think ourselves less and allow God to take charge and guide. We are proud to depart our “comfort zones” and move to the challenge zone.

The first reading records a dramatic and symbolic event of prophet Ezekiel munching the scroll of truth, the word of God which contains warnings, woes and lamentations. Those words of truth which were supposed to be bitter were sweet in his mouth: “Sweet” in the sense that the words are meant to guide, uplift, save and build up the people. The words were “sweet” to him because he removed the barricade of pride, understood that the words are for good and accepted them in humility. However, we may later learn that when Ezekiel proclaimed the same words to the people, they became bitter to them because they were too comfortable in their comfort zone of infidelity and sin.

Jesus presents a little child to the disciples and says that it is only those who turn and become like children that can enter the kingdom of heaven. What is a child known for? A child trusts without questioning. A well-trained child, no matter how stubborn he or she may be, will still value the words of the parents in the long run. In a few words, a child is simply and ideally SUBMISSIVE. St Clare who we celebrate today came from a very wealthy family; she had everything at her beck and call; she was very comfortable. However, when she had the gospel call to follow Jesus in simplicity, she was humble enough to accept those words and follow Jesus, leaving her place of comfort and moving into the challenge zone of striving to live out the gospel ideals.

I so much value the words of our saintly Mother Theresa of Calcutta. She says that IF YOU ARE HUMBLE, NOTHING WILL TOUCH YOU, NEITHER PRAISE NOR DISGRACE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. We are followers of Christ. We have staked our lives on the truth. Some people may praise us for that; a good number may seek to disgrace us because of that. But continue to be what you are. That is what it means to be childlike! That is what it means to be humble!   


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