May 6, 2026

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

Recently, I have been rereading Thomas Merton’s book, “The New Seeds of Contemplation.” I was truly taken up by his terrific chapter concerning the virtue of humility. Merton writes this, “It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. The beginning of humility is the beginning of blessedness, and the consummation of humility is the perfection of all joy.”

I want to also quote this from Merton’s writing, “Humility contains in itself the answer to all the great problems of the soul. It is the only key to faith, with which the spiritual life begins; for faith and humility are inseparable. If there were no humility in the world everybody would long ago have committed suicide.”

So, today, join me as we share a bit about this virtue of humility. We must understand the importance of humility for all of us as we journey together on the road of becoming saints. Humility is one of the most beautiful Christian virtues because it is rooted in truth; the truth about God – God loves us first; the truth about ourselves – we are a loved people; and the truth about others – God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Humility is not thinking less of yourself – but thinking of yourself less.

Humility begins with God. A humble person knows that every gift comes from God – life, talent, opportunities. Humility says: “Thank you, Lord” rather than, “Look at me.”

St. Teresa of Avila taught humility as walking in truth. We are called to recognize both our strengths and our weaknesses honestly. We neither boast nor have despair. Jesus is our model of humility. The Gospels tells that Jesus said, “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart. (Matt 11:29) At the Last Supper, Jesus taught his apostles when he decided to wash their feet. He willingly became the servant and even now asks us to follow him in service of others. Then there is the unforgettable image of Jesus in his Passion accepting the cross.

We follow our Savior in humility in many ordinary ways each day – listening more than speaking, admitting mistakes, accepting correction, letting others be praised, serving quietly, being patient with difficult people. That could be our examination of conscience – how are you doing? Humility brings peace. Pride is exhausting; we are constantly defending ourselves. Humility brings peace because we no longer need to be the center of attention. Humility does not make a person smaller. It makes room for God to become greater.

So, a prayer for humility: Lord Jesus Christ, gentle and humble of heart, teach me the way of humility. Free me from the need to be praised, from the desire to be first, from the habit of thinking only of myself. When pride rises within me, turn my heart back to You. When I am forgotten or overlooked, give me peace. When others are honored, help me rejoice with them. Make me small enough to trust You completely, and strong enough to love others generously. May my life give glory not to me, but to You alone. Amen.