Saturday, February 2, 2013

Humility Nuggets - 4

For silence in presence of the wise, is wisdom.

"Who sold Joseph? Abba John said, 'Who sold Joseph?' They replied saying, 'It was his brethren.' The old man said, 'No, it was his humility which sold him, because he could have said, "I am their brother" and have objected, but, because he kept silence, he sold himself by his humility. It is also his humility which set him up as chief in Egypt.' " (Abba John The Dwarf) 

St. Makarius (or St. Anthony the great in other versions of this story) in one of his contemplations said that he saw demon's lures scattered all over the earth and asked, "Lord, who can escape it?" And following this question, St. Makarius/Anthony heard a voice answering, "The humble will."

"Be humble so that God guards and strengthens you, because God looks to the humble. Be humble so that God fills you with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, because it is written that He guides the humble and teaches His ways to the meek. Be humble in order to be joyful, because joy goes hand in hand with humility." (St. Pachomius)

"For demons can defeat the strong, but they cannot defeat the weak" (Pope Shenouda III)

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Humility Nuggets - 3

In Humility Nuggets -1 post, we argued that the human role of attaining the virtue of humility is to become an Icon of Christ. One crucial step towards being humble enough that we may no longer live, but Christ may live  in us, is a process of reordering of our priorities.

Simply, but very hard to do, is to place everyone else, and their wishes or plans, on a higher rank priority than that of mine. This is exactly what the Bible commands us: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." (Philippians 2:3 NKJV). In fact, the Arabic translation of this verse suggests that each one should esteem the other better than how the other esteems himself! It goes that far.

In order to practically esteem others better than ourselves we simply need to continuously, and with joy, to think of the other, and their needs and/or plans, before we consider ourselves and our own needs or plans. Every single time I start planning something to do, I should pause, take a step back, and consider "the other" needs and check if what I am about to do would help the other's plan or not. "The other" here is mainly everyone I serve. By serve, I mean spiritual service; let it be organized ministry in a church, a hidden private service, an open breaching service, or an everyday service. And we are called to spiritually serve each person we meet, every day, all the time, by being salt and light.

That was my role, the labor. The Lord grace will then do take care of enabling me to do so esteem others better than myself, until it feels effortless and by default. Also, it is God's grace that I do so in joy!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Humility Nuggets - 2


"Permit it to be so now" (Matthew 3:15)




Blessed Theophany feast! The verse above shows the meekness of our Lord Jesus Christ as he respects the will of St. John the Baptist. Respecting other's will and freedom is at the core of meekness, which is the apparent fruit of the inner humility of the heart. It is so true that we are called to respect other's will even if their will and freedom is against our own will as when our Lord Jesus accepted jews' rejection. For yet He was crucified to save those who did not accept His will [Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34]. Even if the other's will is at conflict with our own goals, we still need to respect it. "If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also." (Matthew 5:40) Further, we need to respect other's will even if it is in conflict with their well-being from our perspective, as when our Lord Jesus respected the will of people of Gergesenes who asked Him to depart after He healed the demon-possessed man [Matthew 8:28-33]

In order to be able to accept and respect other's will, we need to first learn to accept and respect our own will! In other words, we realize our, and others, limits and respect it. Like when Jesus healed the people of Capernaum and then He left them while they were seeking Him. Our benevolent Lord did not ignored their will, for He did respond to them, but He have had set a limit beforehand, and when the limit was reached, it was time to serve His own spirituality to be able to continue serving, and it was also time to move on to preach other cities:  "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, 'Everyone is looking for You.' But He said to them, 'Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.' " (Mark 1:35-38) Fr. Anthony Messeh comments on this very verse in his talk about dealing with overly needy people (here) that it is like when w e ride an airplane and we are instructed that in case of emergency we should put oxygen masks on us first, only then we are able to help others who need help.

It should make perfect sense that if our own privacy is continuously prevailed, we have no concept of respecting others privacy. Similarly, if our own freedom and will are not respect, we end up having no concept of respecting others freedom and will. And if we don't respect others freedom and will, then we are not yet quite humble nor meek.

"Not driving chariots, like the rest of the kings, not demanding tributes, not thrusting men off, and leading about guards, but displaying His great meekness even hereby."  (St. John Chrysostom)


Saturday, January 12, 2013

Humility Nuggets - 1

Checkout the icon below. How do we call it?


You probably got it right, it is the Theotokos (i.e., Mother of God) icon.

About a week ago, my wife and I just moved to our home in CA. As we unpack, she started placing magnet icons on the refrigerator on the shape of the cross. The main magnet was of the Theotokos, while the other magnets were for martyrs and saints. I then said: we should have one more for daddy Jesus Himself, He is more important. Then I was immediately, thanks to God, struck with the following 2 facts:

1. The Theotokos Icon is actually of Baby Jesus! St. Mary got her title of Theotokos only because God, Jesus, is in the picture! How come I oversaw Him? How many times and many faithful and righteous people do stare at the Theotokos Icon and only speak to St. Mary, as if God is not in the picture?! How many times we seek saints intersession and seek miracles, overseeing God, Jesus, who is in fact the main actor in the icon, and the saint's story behind the icon, as well as in any miracle any saint would do! I have always thought that humility is to be out of the picture. I realized yet another deeper dimension of humility. Humility is to not only be in the picture, but even the main character of the picture, yet be unseen or overseen.  This is God's humility!

2. St. Mary, Pope Cyril 6th, St. George, St. Mina, St. Philopater,  Mother Irini, etc., ... all whom we call saints, they were all humble enough to live no longer they live, but Christ in them. If we look closely to read each and every Icon, we will in fact see Christ Himself. This is our, mankind, ever long aimed humility.


I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, butChrist lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) NKJV

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