[/caption]“The Triumph of Humility” is the title of a play written by St. Therese for nuns in her convent in 1896, and it provided her with an opportunity to think about the struggle between good and evil.
“Level 5 Leadership: the Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve” is the title of an insightful article in the July-August, 2005 issue of the Harvard Business Review, and that article emphasized the humility factor found in the few unusually successful leaders. Remarkably disparate sources, but both focus on one of life’s most important counter-intuitive facts not commonly recognized, especially in secular literature. Humility is one of life’s most mysterious paradoxes – one of those truths we can’t do without. Ignorance of this fact is not a trivial matter. It’s much more dangerous than ignorance of the laws of physics. Einstein, himself, has noted that not everything that counts can be counted.
St. Augustine has said that three virtues are necessary for us to attain eternal life – humility, humility and humility. By way of clarification, St. Francis de Sales has pointed out that humility is the highest of all human virtues while love, the consummation of all virtues, is a divine virtue. Humility is, nevertheless, the precondition for all other virtues. With a little thought, it’s not too difficult to see the importance of this principle, since without humility other virtues can easily become suffused with the nullifying effects of pride, our primordial problem. And that, of course, is the very thing that brought down Lucifer the “Light Bearer”, undoubtedly one of the more gifted angels.
Unfortunately, how quick we are to arrogate to ourselves the credit for talents and gifts we have been given and which, only common senses tells us, can only come from God; all this is at the behest of the Father of Lies who may have another variation of pride awaiting us if we’re not vigilant. Belittling or denying talents given, can, of course, be equivalent to ingratitude for the generosity of the Almighty – a subtle statement of pride in our own independence. “St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the battle!”
The humility factor in the Harvard Business Review article cited above is described as “not what you would expect” and not only counterintuitive, but countercultural. Contemporary culture would have us believe that the road to success in this life is via charism, recognition, egocentrism, individualism, rights, etc. rather than duty and sacrifice, but is this true? Certainly not in the case of eternal verities, but apparently, not even in this life.
Who do we call mankind’s solitary boast? She is the Blessed Mother, the epitome of humility and the only one of us not wounded by any trace of prideful deception. She is the one who has told us her Immaculate Heart will triumph. We have it too, on much higher authority than the Harvard Business Review or even St. Therese. “He who humbles himself will be exalted, and he who exalts himself will be humbled.” Matt. 23:12
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