Humbling Ourselves Before the Lord

"God wants us to humble ourselves, not to degrade us, but so that he can exalt us. To be humble is to recognize the truth that God is the source of our existence, our sustenance, and our dignity. This faithful recognition opens us to the revelation that God is a God of love..."

from The Magnificat Year of Faith Companion

In my (humble) opinion, I believe that being a teacher is one of the most humbling careers someone could have. Each day, we draw from our own experiences, faults, and failings so students may, in turn, learn from us and the things we have done. It is humbling, also, that students daily find many mistakes, from typos on an outline handout to lines in front of test answers that don't need ones to completely messing up the schedule.

But, as the reflection reminds us, God doesn't want to degrade us - nor does he want us to think less of ourselves. Humility is thinking of ourselves less so that we may think of God (and his creation) more.

It makes me think of this C.S. Lewis quote (that I end up sharing with just about everyone, especially in retreat or small faith-sharing group settings):

Now, let us turn our eyes toward the Father and to Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself to save us, as we prepare to enter this most Holy Triduum and Jesus' Resurrection at Easter...