We learn humility in different ways. Sometimes we try to attain what is beyond our reach. We try to accomplish something we desire to attain. We fail. We humbly learn our limitations.

Sometimes we boast about our accomplishments. We have achieved much and we tell others the truth. But we lose the esteem of our friends when we do. Boasting might be honest, but humility brings rewards.

Still, some people erroneously believe that humility is weak and pride is strong. Some public figures - entertainers, politicians and professional athletes, for example - boast in the midst of combat. They want attention. They distain the competition. Their success depends on their self-certitude.

Their fall is all the more sharp. In the end, even the most talented share the same mortality as everyone else. We are all humans. We shall all taste death. In the sight of God, humility is the only honest stance we can take.

The book of Sirach urges us to conduct our affairs with humility. We will be loved by others and favored by God. We will recognize that in spite of our gifts, there is One who is greater: the giver of these gifts. When we acknowledge the might of God, humility becomes a way of life.

Written by Paul Turner. Liturgy Training Publications
Copyright 2003, Archdiocese of Chicago