{"id":275,"date":"2009-03-08T02:27:30","date_gmt":"2009-03-08T09:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/?p=275"},"modified":"2009-03-08T02:27:30","modified_gmt":"2009-03-08T09:27:30","slug":"the-rare-virtue-of-humility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/?p=275","title":{"rendered":"The Rare Virtue of Humility"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Rare Virtue Of Humility<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A Chapel Talk<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

By Allyce Cay-Bothmann<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Why do I call humility a rare virtue?\u00a0 <\/span>As one of the ten virtues of Aristotle, it is acquired and eventually balanced after many lives and saintly practices.\u00a0 <\/span>You could say that a poor homeless man, a beggar, and a little child have humility.\u00a0 <\/span>You may say that usually a reticent person has humility.\u00a0 <\/span>\u2026\u2026.No.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Reticence is often born of fear and withdrawal.\u00a0 <\/span>Humility as a virtue comes from deep realizations.\u00a0 <\/span>It is the distillation of wide-ranging experience.\u00a0 <\/span>Humility is born of the demise of egotism and often is the phoenix of humiliation.\u00a0 <\/span>It comes to the surface when ignorance and arrogating attitudes go out and bring consequences home to roost.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Even with the world\u2019s elect, Aristotle\u2019s ten virtues are extremely hard to come by.\u00a0 <\/span>Let\u2019s look at his list again: wisdom<\/span>, the culmination of experience; justice<\/span>, encompassing a fine sense of honesty, trustworthiness, and consideration\u2014even the golden rule could apply only to human behavior.\u00a0 <\/span>Then, there is fortitude<\/span>\u2014the ability to endure, the patience to prevail and stand against odds of all kinds.\u00a0 <\/span>It takes a long time to build fortitude.\u00a0 <\/span>This virtue wins battles and eventually our liberation from mortal bonds.\u00a0 <\/span>Self control, <\/span>necessarily achieved before one can be entrusted with spiritual powers, must be won at great price.\u00a0 <\/span>True love<\/span> is a virtue brought forth in the Christian era.\u00a0 <\/span>However, anything done with love is enhanced both within and without.\u00a0 <\/span>Aristotle emphasized the importance of a positive attitude.\u00a0 <\/span>Cheerfulness<\/span> ingratiates the day.\u00a0 <\/span>I didn\u2019t think that hard work<\/span> was that much of a virtue, but I could surely notice it made a real difference, and it was the precursor to accomplishment.\u00a0 <\/span>Revenge and an unforgiving attitude are the hardest work of all and retard the soul\u2019s development.\u00a0 <\/span>There are many individuals these days who haven\u2019t learned the wonderful advantages of good hard work.\u00a0 <\/span>Loving what you do or doing something with reverence changes work into play, as Mother Teresa showed us.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The last three virtues include integrity<\/span>, gratitude<\/span> and finally the last on Aristotle\u2019s list, humility<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>It may be that most of us are in denial.\u00a0 <\/span>We can\u2019t face our wrongdoing.\u00a0 <\/span>We all want to be more good-looking than we are; we all want to seem more intelligent than we are; we all want to receive appreciation and positive attention whether we deserve it or not.\u00a0 <\/span>We are easily offended.\u00a0 <\/span>We harbor an insult to our precious egos to the point that is highly adverse to our Christian religion.\u00a0 <\/span>What does it take to keep our self-respect and still have humility?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>We hear a lot about self-esteem these days.\u00a0 <\/span>We can have appreciation of ourselves as children of our Father in Heaven.\u00a0 <\/span>Still as far as our dealings with others and our place and work in the world are concerned, we are so riddled with contradictions, unconscious denials, uncontrolled thinking as well as compensating drives that a fairly wise person today would be busy keeping the reins of personal control in hand.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>We like to think we are reasonably humble.\u00a0 <\/span>Just let someone criticize us on a sensitive point.\u00a0 <\/span>You may not have made a study of your sensitivities.\u00a0 <\/span>Even in retrospection, we skip over many of these uncomfortable areas in the character.\u00a0 <\/span>For example, you may be proud of your family, or it could be your high IQ or fine appearance or beautiful house or neat job.\u00a0 <\/span>Now, it is not these advantages per se that may make us proud.\u00a0 <\/span>It is anything we have a complex about; so if we come across someone or something that ruffles the rationalizations we have unconsciously constructed, it usually causes anger at the judgment of the person or source of the discomfort.\u00a0 <\/span>From this defensiveness comes much of the world\u2019s drive toward the negativity of vindictiveness and revenge.\u00a0 <\/span>We cannot face the abyss of our imperfections.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Christ showed us the perfect way.\u00a0 <\/span>We have to grow to the maturity of humility.\u00a0 <\/span>In his life he gave all credit and glory to the Father.\u00a0 <\/span>In spite of his obvious superiority and expressed consternation of the often disquieting incomprehension of his followers, in spite of his stupendous advancement and purity of being, in spite of his miracles, patience, forbearance and fortitude, he demonstrated true humility as the messenger of the righteous laws of peace, culminating in washing his apostle\u2019s feet. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>In reading about the life of President William McKinley, we see a fine example of a person who was brilliant, accomplished and important with no conceit or affectation.\u00a0 <\/span>Although as a rising politician with alluring attributes, he married a frail little woman who, after losing two children, came out of a deep depression with epilepsy.\u00a0 <\/span>When her husband went to any social functions, she enjoyed attending.\u00a0 <\/span>At some point in the proceedings, she would usually go into an epileptic seizure and her dear husband would quickly cover her distorted face with his handkerchief and carry her out to another room.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>As a statesman McKinley had to make many trying decisions and weather the Spanish American War.\u00a0 <\/span>He was a particularly likeable person and worked most conscientiously with a demanding wife who kept him so busy it was like he had another job.\u00a0 <\/span>On <\/span>September 5, 1901<\/span>, at the International Exposition in <\/span>Buffalo<\/span>, <\/span>New York<\/span>, he was shot by an anarchist, making him a martyr in the service of his nation.\u00a0 <\/span>After nine days of agony, this humble, sorely chastened man died on <\/span>September 14, 1901<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>History is replete with examples of the virtue of humility.\u00a0 <\/span>It seems that the Lord loved and rewarded the humble Ruth.\u00a0 <\/span>Naomi\u2019s daughter-in-law, Ruth, was appreciated because of the virtues of her late husband\u2019s mother and said that wherever Naomi lived, that would also be her home and country.\u00a0 <\/span>The Bible doesn\u2019t say that Ruth was beautiful, but her humble and sweet manner attracted Boaz who owned the fields where Ruth gleaned a few stalks of wheat.\u00a0 <\/span>She is in the genealogy of David who was the progenitor of the Messiah.\u00a0 <\/span>The truly great come to a state of humility by realizing that regardless of their elevation of position there are always greater heights to attain.\u00a0 <\/span>The apostles of our Lord were among the most humble of God\u2019s children, being so close to the divinity of Jesus; they were meek in comparing themselves to him.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>There was a King Louis who is now dubbed a saint.\u00a0 <\/span>He saw a sick and depraved beggar on the streets of <\/span>Paris<\/span> and remarked, \u201cThere but for the grace of God go I.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Didn\u2019t our Lord admonish us to not have the attitude of taking the important seats in the congregation, lest we be asked to step down, but take the lower seats, and then if we are recognized for our worthiness, we will be asked to come to the higher places?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>There is always someone ahead of even the seemingly most exalted.\u00a0 <\/span>It is remarkable how quickly celebrities and world famous persons of high recognition are forgotten.\u00a0 <\/span>I think it was President Reagan who said that it was amazing how much could be accomplished as long as it wasn\u2019t important if someone else got the credit.\u00a0 <\/span>In the world, people vie for credit, give their names to their philanthropy or strive to \u201cmake a name for themselves.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Again Christ always maintained that all power, glory and credit was to be given to the Father.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The worldly self or selfish self works for attention, credit, recognition, fame or reward.\u00a0 <\/span>The more advanced worker serves with quiet graciousness, whether in high or low positions, with devotion to duty as he sees the best for the most.\u00a0 <\/span>Egotism is a basic quality in all of us at times throughout our lives, and we will undergo tests of power until a deep humility is realized when, before our Creator, we understand that each of us is just a member of this vast cosmos, no matter how far we have come.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The Old Testament<\/em> is replete with examples of God\u2019s prophets pleading, admonishing, threatening and generally railing against <\/span>Israel<\/span>\u2019s and <\/span>Judah<\/span>\u2019s people to refine their ways and humble themselves before the Lord.\u00a0 <\/span>Jeremiah, especially, worked with the kings of his time.\u00a0 <\/span>Ezekiel predicted the captivation of his people, but to no avail.\u00a0 <\/span>We are now at a time in the history of this country where our information is adroitly controlled and the forces with insidious power do not realize that they are erecting their own destruction.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The vehicles in the brain take much evolving.\u00a0 <\/span>At the end of a cycle, the less astute and altruistic spirits are sent en mass for their expressions.\u00a0 <\/span>The mighty plan of our God works perfectly, regardless of mere human interpretations.\u00a0 <\/span>He engineers worlds, nations, and the destinies of such as you and me\u2014all to fit into the grand denouement of each Globe\u2019s round, and the scheme of every great period, universal or personal.\u00a0 <\/span>I have to watch myself that I don\u2019t get disheartened when I see how successfully old Lucifer, in all his released power, is making lucid the faults and failings of us humans at this stage of our mortal journey on this planet.\u00a0 <\/span>To achieve a glimpse into God\u2019s doings, it takes a well-founded trust in the love, wisdom and power of our Creator. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The Apostle Peter is an illustration of an impetuous spirit progressing, through his master\u2019s life, modeling the higher principles to great advancement and accompanying humility.\u00a0 <\/span>He, along with John the Divine, realized the tremendous gulf between the ordinary human and the point of ascended glory witnessed on the Mount of Transfiguration.\u00a0 <\/span>Great saints such as Saint Francis of <\/span>Assisi<\/span>, who was born of a wealthy merchant\u2019s family, through his desire to serve God purposefully humbled himself, suffering bodily pain and much personal inconvenience.\u00a0 <\/span>You may have noticed in yourself a critical feeling from time to time.\u00a0 <\/span>It helps to remind ourselves that we are all Christs in the making.\u00a0 <\/span>Peter was so humbled, even though suffering imprisonment and rejecting the world that he, in his final hours, at his martyrdom, requested to be crucified upside-down, as not being worthy to die as did our Lord.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>At present we go through many pious motions.\u00a0 <\/span>All the same our emotional bodies are not tamed.\u00a0 <\/span>When we hold resentments\u2014especially if we give words to swelling irritations\u2014to say the least\u2014we are not progressing.\u00a0 <\/span>Humility often takes courage to suppress a negative feeling.\u00a0 <\/span>We sometimes have to act just the opposite of our feelings.\u00a0 <\/span>Not everyone has good manners.\u00a0 <\/span>Some of our dearest ones, for instance, may do things we find offensive, such as meddle with our things or talk on cell phones when they are supposed to be visiting us.\u00a0 <\/span>It is not pleasant to have someone probing or poking another person to make a point or expostulate with loud or unpleasant noises, not to mention the many other idiosyncrasies that are annoying.\u00a0 <\/span>Then there are each person\u2019s glaring and impossible character defects which with close acquaintance can just be too much to deal with.\u00a0 <\/span>Of course, we are most often blissfully unaware of our own defects and their effects on others. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Then, with time, if one lives long enough, there gradually emerges a realization.\u00a0 <\/span>It is born of embarrassment and the mounting experience that life vouchsafes.\u00a0 <\/span>Our improvement in the virtue of humility does not of necessity have to be born of shame, but we do privately take an upward footing and adjust to the new perspective.\u00a0 <\/span>Inasmuch as change is not easy, until we get into the swing of hard work on ourselves, it may take the shock of the misstep, ignoring rules, repercussions of thoughtlessness or any ignorance coming to the surface.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Our invisible guides and teachers are committed to helping us to decry in each consequence the freeing of mind and emotions from a mistake.\u00a0 <\/span>The individual who does not ignore mistakes and takes them as lessons, understanding that there will be more of such learning experiences is on the way to acquiring the virtue of humility.\u00a0 <\/span>Aristotle\u2019s virtue of a positive attitude encourages and enhances the efforts toward the building of our soul temple in the daunting wilderness of all that as yet we have not mastered.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Sometimes in the dangerous cycles of affluence and personal triumph, it is natural for people to be lifted up in the pride of accomplishments.\u00a0 <\/span>Our way-shower and model, the Christ, demonstrated the relativities of what and who is most important.\u00a0 <\/span>There have been many great persons with most inspiring accomplishments, but there are still the angels, archangels, gods, and proceeding incomprehensible beings, yet there is only ONE all encompassing Presence throughout the cosmos.\u00a0 <\/span>As pilgrim mortals our future is un-limiting.\u00a0 <\/span>We lowly creatures are in the seventh super universe.\u00a0 <\/span>The mineral, plant and animal life is behind us.\u00a0 <\/span>We have been victorious to this point to this day.\u00a0 <\/span>With prayer and study and with the open way of humility\u2014having risen above the roils and toils of egotism\u2014we love and appreciate the wondrous opportunity for godliness freely given by the Father.\u00a0 <\/span>We can work to control the body and the emotions and build the noble and great Spirit marked out for our personal destiny.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Being open and teachable, self-mastered and ever prayerful, learning to keep our thoughts watchfully positive, with the guide of scripture and the cosmic conception in even this mortal life, we will overcome the world. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Allyce Cay-Bothmann<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Rare Virtue Of Humility \u00a0 A Chapel Talk \u00a0 By Allyce Cay-Bothmann \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why do I call humility a rare virtue?\u00a0 As one of the ten virtues of Aristotle, it is acquired and eventually balanced after many lives and saintly practices.\u00a0 You could say that a poor homeless man, a beggar, and a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapel-talks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=275"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":278,"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275\/revisions\/278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astrowin.org\/rffriends\/wpx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}