HUMILITY - JOB #1 FOR A POPE!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent  is, “Humility - Job #1 for A Pope!”

There’s all kind of stuff in the papers - this and that - positive and negative - about this upcoming election for a new pope.

The Capital called Day 1 for comments from a priest here at St. Mary’s. I’m glad I wasn’t asked - because a) Down deep I don’t know enough of what is involved in all this and b) I’d probably  make some kind of a cute statement which would be a dumb statement in the long run.

Since then I’ve been thinking.

In one sermon I said, the Number 1 requirement for a new pope is that he proclaim Jesus Christ - not himself. The pope is an important symbol to our world - of our Catholic faith - and from what I read - more for U.S. Catholics than other places. He himself has to see that Jesus is the reason for the whole institution. I see that Pope Benedict in his writings was quite Jesus centered.

I also put on my blog a fun piece - having the Cardinals getting deadlocked - for 100 ballots - so they decided to ask the whole church for what they want and on the 101^st ballot they came up with a total surprise. They don’t pick a cardinal. Nobody noticed my blog piece and I haven’t been called to the Vatican to explain.

If asked to explain, I would simply say that I was just being cute - while at the same time very serious.

What would you consider the top qualification in a pope?

The title of my homily is, “Humility - Job #1 for A Pope!”

HUMILITY

St. Bernard said - I assume with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye - that  the 4 Cardinal Virtues are humility, humility, humility , humility.

I’d say humility has many ingredients. Here are 4: being human, having a sense of humor, being honest, and having a sense of horror. Human, humor, honesty, and horror.

Humility comes from the word “humus” earth - from which God formed us from the clay, the mud, the soil of the earth. On Ash Wednesday we heard we’re made from earth and we’ll be going back to earth. And the food we eat - that becomes us - some more than others - comes from this earth to make us who we are.

To be human is to recognize this. We leak. We flake. We crumble. We are humbled by our slow sinking feelings - heading on the long journey to the grave.

Humility then is being down to earth - human.

Pope John XXIII comes to mind for me with this quality. He was born of a peasant sharecropping family in Northern Italy. He had farmer’s hands. You probably heard this story: A soviet diplomat and his wife came to see Pope John XXIII. The pope handed the diplomat’s wife a rosary. When he placed the rosary beads in her hand, she said to her husband in Russian, “Look, he has the hands of a worker, he is one of us!”  Of course she did not expect this peasant-pope to understand Russian.  He did - along with French, Greek, Bulgarian, Turkish, as well as his native Italian. These were skills he needed and picked up in his work as a diplomat himself. He also got his doctorate in Church History and knew the Fathers of the Church well. So he was smart yet quite human - which to me is a key ingredient to being humble.

Next John XXIII  had a good sense of humor. You’ve heard his comment when made pope he looks in the mirror in his new outfit and says, “My God, this pope is going to be a disaster on TV.” Being able to laugh at oneself is key to being humble.

Next honesty is part of humility. If the church needs anything it’s honesty.

Lastly, part of humility is to have a sense of horror. Horror happens in this world -  in this life: suffering - craziness - war - abuse - hunger - the haves having the advantage over the have-nots. We need to be able to cry - not just laugh.

CONCLUSION

Today’s two readings say all this a thousand times better than I just put it.

I wish they were electing the pope today and the boys had to hear today’s readings.

The readings have a call to humility in them.

The first reading - Isaiah 1: 10, 16-20 - talks about the call  to get things right - to put an end to sin - cease doing evil - start doing good. Make justice your goal. Defend the widow and the orphan.

The gospel - Matthew 23:1-12 - calls for humility - enough with the tassels and the titles - front seats - and public show.  Honors are not one of the H’s for humility.

John XXIII called for cutting down the robes and stuff - and Benedict put some of this stuff back - but his red shoes were not Prado’s - in spite of that report.

Humility. Humility. Humility. Humility - a la Jesus.

These boys and all of us ought to be praying the old prayer of the Church to Jesus: “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine. Amen.”