Faith & Life

HUMILITY AND SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD

By DANIELLE TAYABAS     5/1/2023

Who among you is humble? How did you become so meek and selfless? Who told you the truth about who you are and where you came from? Who gifted you with wisdom, understanding, knowledge and the self awareness to live in the freedom of spiritual childhood?

What moved your heart to desire and practice self-denial to the point of self-sacrifice so that you would become a vessel of humility and love? Who taught you how to love and to lay down your life in self-abasement as to give of yourself completely in the service of mercy to others? Who sustains you with the grace of purity of heart, self-forgetfulness and unselfishness?

Who gave you the power to annihilate all self-love with holy indifference so that you may be filled with joy and peace? Especially when trials, tribulations, suffering, persecution and the daily battle of spiritual warfare beat against your breast and try to torment your heart and soul.

Who instructed you to renounce your self will, to live a life of prayer, repentance, forgiveness and sinlessness and to continue on in the light of God’s will so that the dark of sin and the pestilence of pride does not rule your life but rather Holy Love rules, reigns and remains in you?

As we reflect on these questions, the Holy Trinity immediately comes to mind. And in particular Jesus and Mary! They are the perfect models of humility and spiritual childhood that we can turn to and imitate.

“The Diary of Saint Faustina” reveals the Hearts of Jesus and Mary intimately in this regard. On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, before Holy Communion Sr. Faustina “saw the Blessed Mother inconceivably beautiful.”

“Smiling, she said ‘My daughter, at God’s command I am to be, in a special and exclusive way your Mother; but I desire that you, too, in a special way, be my child. I desire, my dearly beloved daughter, that you  practice the three virtues that are dearest to me — and most pleasing to God. The first is humility, humility and once again humility; the second virtue, purity; the third virtue, love of God. As My daughter, you must especially radiate with these virtues.’” (“Diary of Saint Faustina,” 1414-1415)

Similarly, Jesus tells Sister Faustina, “My daughter, let three virtues adorn you in a particular way: humility, purity of intention and love. Do nothing beyond what I demand of you and accept everything that My hand gives you. Strive for a life of recollection so that you can hear My voice, which is so soft that only recollected souls can hear it…” (“Diary of Saint Faustina,” 1779)

Another time during Mass the infant Jesus appeared next to her kneeler. “He asked me to take Him in my arms. When I did take Him in my arms, He cuddled up close to my bosom and said, ‘it is good for Me to be close to your heart.’” (‘Diary of Saint Faustina,” 1481)

Let us be humble children and enter into prayer, imagining ourselves in the place of St. Faustina. Then listen to the words of Jesus and Mary speaking to our hearts while pressing us against Theirs.