Pope: humility, holiness come with humiliation
(Vatican Radio)
Humility is the way of holiness. That’s what Pope Francis said in his
Homily at Monday morning’s Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope focused on
the story of King David who, aware of his own sin, accepts humiliation in a
spirit of trust in the Lord. While God forgives sin, the Pope observed, “the
wounds of corruption are difficult to heal."
King David "is one step
away from corruption," says the Pope - but the prophet Nathan, sent by
God, makes him understand the evil he has done. David, adds Francis, is a
"sinner, but holy."
The wounds of corruption
are difficult to heal
Though he is a sinner, David
is not corrupt - the Pope notes - because "the corrupt do not realize that
they are:"
"It takes a special
grace to change the heart of a corrupt person. And David who had a noble heart,
said: 'Oh, it's true: I have sinned!' He acknowledges his guilt. And what
does Nathan say? 'The Lord forgives your sin, but the corruption that you have
sown will grow. You killed an innocent man to hide adultery. The sword shall
never depart from your house.' God forgives the sin; David converts but
the wounds of corruption are difficult to heal. We see this in many parts of
the world."
David finds his son Absalom
has become corrupt, waging war on him. But the king gathers his men and decides
to leave the city, allowing the Ark to return. He does not call on God to
defend him. He leaves "to save his people." And this, Pope Francis
reveals, “is the way of holiness that David, after that moment of corruption, begins
to follow."
King David entrusts
himself to God and so passes from sin to holiness
David, with covered head and
weeping, leaves the city amid the jeers of some. Among these, Shimei
calls him "murderous" and curses him. David accepts this because, the
Pope says, if he is cursed, it is the Lord’s doing:
"Then David said to his
servants: 'My own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life:’
Absalom. And then, ‘let this Benjaminite go on cursing since it was the
Lord who ordered him to.’ David knows how to see the signs: it is his moment of
humiliation, it is the moment in which he is paying for his guilt. 'Perhaps the
Lord will look upon my affliction, and make it up to me with benefits for the
curses he is uttering this day.’ And he puts himself in the hands of the Lord.
This is the path of David, from the moment of corruption to this entrusting of
himself into the hands of the Lord. And this is holiness. This is humility.”
“I think all of us, if
somebody says something bad to us, would immediately say that it’s not
true." Or we do as Shimei does: "We offer an even uglier
response."
May Christians have the
grace of humility
"Humility,” the
Pope stresses, “can only get into the heart via humiliation. There is no
humility without humiliation, and if you are not able to put up with some
humiliations in your life, you are not humble." It’s simply
"mathematical," the Pope stresses:
"The only way to
humility is through humiliation. David’s destiny, which is holiness, comes
through humiliation. The destiny of that holiness which God gives to his
children, gives to the Church, comes through the humiliation of his Son, who
allows himself to be insulted, who allows himself to be placed on the cross -
unjustly ... And this Son of God who humbles himself, this is the way of
holiness. And David, through his behavior, prophesizes this
humiliation of Jesus. Let us ask the Lord for the grace of humility for each of
us, for the whole Church - but also for the grace to understand that humility
cannot be achieved without humiliation. "
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