Pope Francis, in his daily homily spoke about the humiliation of King David. He defined what humility consists of and how one should be prepared to attain this virtue.
POPE FRANCIS
“Sometimes we think that humility is to move calmly, perhaps head-down looking at the floor… but even pigs walk with their heads down: this is not humility. This is that fake, ready-to-wear humility, which neither saves nor guards the heart. It's good for us to be aware that: there is no true humility without humiliation, and if you are not able to tolerate, to carry humiliation on your shoulders, you are not truly humble: you pretend you are, but you are not.”
The pope explained that those who are humble do not justify themselves or try to appear better, but are able to accept offenses.
EXCERPTS OF PAPAL HOMILY
“Sometimes we think that humility is to move calmly, perhaps head-down looking at the floor… but even pigs walk with their heads down: this is not humility. This is that fake, ready-to-wear humility, which neither saves nor guards the heart. It's good for us to be aware that: there is no true humility without humiliation, and if you are not able to tolerate, to carry humiliation on your shoulders, you are not truly humble: you pretend you are, but you are not.”
“There is always the temptation to counter slander and oppose anything that humiliates us or makes us feel ashamed - like Shimei. But David says “No”; the Lord says “No”, that is not the right path. The path is the one taken by Jesus and prophesied by David: bearing humiliation. ‘Perhaps the Lord will look upon my affliction and make it up to me with benefits for the curses he is uttering this day’: turning humiliation into hope.
“Let us ask the Lord for the grace of humility, with humiliations. There was a nun who used to say: ‘yes, I am humble, but never humiliated!’ No, no! There is no humility without humiliation. We are asking for this grace. And if someone is brave – just as as St. Ignatius teaches us - he can even ask the Lord to send humiliations so he can be more like the Lord”.
