For Francis de Sales, the high point of the virtue humility is reached when we not only acknowledge but love our abasement, our pettiness, our embarrassing situations. At first view, this appears to be a very negative and demeaning aspect of this virtue. On further reflection, as Dr. Wendy Wright insightfully observes, to love our abasement is “to love ourselves as God loves us in our wholeness…in our blessings and brokenness.”
In accepting ourselves as God accepts us, we learn to love our humanity and begin to know how to love all human beings. So loving our abasement, our shortcomings opens us up to love, to love ourselves as God loves us and to love others. Humility is the virtue that makes us lovers because it creates in our hearts space for God and for others.
Wendy’s insight helps us to better appreciate why Jesus our Teacher wants us to learn from him because he is humble of heart. The virtue of humility gives us access to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and hence teaches us to love as Jesus loves. No wonder the virtue of humility is so highly valued and seen as foundational by De Sales.
Prayer: Humble and gentle Jesus, help us to value and strive for the virtue of humility so that we may be close to your heart and feel your loving vibrations for us and learn to love as you love. May you grant this request through your kindness and mercy.
God be Praised!
Fr. Sandy Pocetto, OSFS
DeSales University Professor Emeritus and retired Senior Vice President
This reflection originally appeared in DeSales Weekly, the e-newsletter of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.
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