Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear sisters and brothers,

Saint Bernard was asked once what the three most important virtues are, to which he responded, “First is humility. Second is humility, and lastly... humility.”  This virtue, traditionally considered the foundation for all other virtues, often runs counter to some of the more modern ethical approaches to human flourishing, most strikingly that of Frederick Nietzsche. However, we can learn a great deal from Nietzsche (albeit mostly by contrast), including the essence of the virtue of humility.

Nietzsche is most notorious for what he calls the übermensch—the superman—a superior human who will rise above conventional ethics in order to impose his/her own will and values on the weak. This sounds like the least “humble” ethic ever taught. Paradoxically, however, within the mind of Nietzsche, this thought would actually be consistent with the virtue of Humility.

Aquinas teaches us that, in its essence, humility is living in truth. And in the mind of Nietzsche, a fundamental axiom is that “God is dead.” As a consequence Nietzsche asks, “Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing” without any foundation for ethics or virtue? Without God, humility would be thrown from its foundation like “the earth being unchained from its sun.” Therefore, in his own distorted way, our troubled philosopher imagined a type of humility (living in truth) that was consistent within his own atheistic worldview, but its horrific consequences were suffered by countless souls in the 20th century.

Christian humility is still living in truth, but a living in the truth of a reality which has been completely gifted us by an all-loving God. It is in complete contrast with the taking mentality of the übermensch of Nietzsche, and is anchored in a reality of self-gift and stewardship. It rejects the groping for what one desires, and instead opens oneself up to the gifts from who is to be desired. And with gratitude, the humble recognize that everything he/she has—gifts, talents, family, faith, even existence comes from a generous God. In this way Christ can truly say that only “the one who humbles himself will be exalted,” as exaltation also is the prerogative of God alone.

Michael