A year ago, I embarked on a journey to understand the Catholic faith more deeply. Initially, I believed that faith was solely about my well-being, finding inner peace, and pursuing happiness. However, I soon discovered that there was much more to the faith than I had anticipated. It was not merely a yoga retreat, a self-healing rehabilitation center, or a motivational program for life guidance. Our heavenly Father, God, began presenting me with various topics to ponder, each offering unique insights. One recurring theme throughout my journey has been the concept of humility.
I used to perceive humility as simply the opposite of being boastful or showy. It meant refraining from excessive self-promotion or arrogance and “being down to earth,” as my husband often says. Many celebrities express awareness that success and wealth are transient. But I have come to understand that humility encompasses much more. It is the feeling or attitude of recognizing that one does not possess any special importance that sets them above others. It involves the absence of pride.
Embracing the notion of having no special importance can be overwhelming. For the past four decades of my life, I relentlessly strived to be better than others or, at the very least, to be deemed good enough. I chased after the perfect relationship, the ideal career, and even the right understanding of God. Initially, my perception of God was akin to that of an inanimate object—a means for me to take control of my life. However, I gradually realized that this approach was a problem I could never solve. I had become entangled in this search because it was no longer about anyone or anything else. Everything centered around me.
In this century, the emphasis on individuality has grown. It has become a way of self-expression, a means to achieve self-fulfillment. But instead, we should look up and ask, “God, where do you want me to serve?” It is about self-donation, always oriented towards others. It involves looking beyond ourselves and identifying the needs of those around us. It requires introspection to understand what steps we can take to better serve God. As today’s Sunday reading said, “any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete” (Philippians 2:1-2).
Realizing this truth necessitates a radical reorientation of how I perceive my own life. As St. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Similarly, in today’s Sunday reading, Philippians 2:1-11, we learn about Christ’s humility. “Though He was in the form of God, He did not exploit His equality with God. Instead, He humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant and being born as a human. He even obediently faced death, even the death on a cross.”
Christ’s humility, as described in Philippians 2:1-11, teaches us to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” It is okay to acknowledge that we do not hold any special importance and that others may be better than us. When we approach God, let us ask ourselves whether our intentions are self-centered or focused on serving others. We should choose to selflessly donate ourselves because we genuinely desire to and because it is what God wants from us. This is our call to holiness, and it is the essence of humility. I will pray for you, my dear brothers and sisters.
Written by Kit Lee