Humility: It Matters...

Last summer I enjoyed reading Sr. Mary Margaret Funk's Thoughts Matter. Humility Matters is the third part of a trilogy of "matter" books and it made my summer 2010 reading list. The book touches upon the four great renunciations handed down to us from the monastic tradition: renunciation of our former way of life, of the thoughts/desires of that former life, of self-made thoughts of God, and finally of our self-made thoughts of the self.

Mingled into these sections are various dialogues with saints such as St. Teresa of Jesus, St. Therese of Lisieux, and John Cassian, whose spiritual lessons are valuable for the act of renunciation.

The common thread, of course, is the virtue of humility. "When self no longer dominates and we feel a desire to sacrifice, we know it, and this renunciation is 'full of grace'; our humility becomes a way of life, like that of Mary who hastened to visit and assist her pregnant cousin Elizabeth" pg 12.

Now to just put it into practice!