Humility comes in many forms

We can be humble in many ways but there are still lessons to be learned all the time in this department. One of the hardest things for me to accept when I went to seminary in 2003 was the fact that I now was at the mercy of others for everything. As a forty something adult who had been employed since college and making my way in the world just fine, I now was studying for priesthood with expenses and no job to speak of. I was the one who wrote checks to church and organizations who needed help and that's the way I liked it. I felt good to be able to help and thought no more of it. It wasn't until I was on the other end of the giving that it became hard to accept and that was a lesson in humility from God that I was never expecting. The underlying feeling was that when I had the checkbook, I had power. I did not use that power for bad, but it was better than not having power and that is what I experienced at seminary. God used humility and these life experiences to help me feel what so many marginalized brothers and sisters feel and that is a lack of control and the lack of power.

I write this because of my recent experience with the muscular dystrophy association. I was asked by the association to be one of their "jailbirds" and asked to raise bail money. I was charged to raise $1600. I knew this would be a test for me...actually I thought this kind of testing from God was over after seminary. As a priest, I guess we always are raising money for the parish we are in. When I took the assignment, my only wish is that I did not want to completely embarrass myself in fundraising ineptness. It did take a lot of inner strength to begin putting the word out that I was searching for funds to make this bail happen. As always, the people of God responded generously and I am nearly at my goal and this lesson is over tomorrow.

I remember overhearing our old Archbishop Dolan lament the fact that his priesthood had changed since becoming a bishop. Instead of doing more pastoral activities, he had to go "pick the pockets" of donors to keep the diocese afloat. Obviously, I share the same feelings of asking for money as he did. In the end, I know it is a lesson of humility for me from God. Until we learn real good, the lessons generally continue. We pray for those today who have to humble themselves to go to a food pantry or ask for assistance in so many various forms. For many of those people, it is a very painful ordeal to seek assistance...for some it has become a way of life and the pain is now only numbness. Let us take a walk in the shoes of someone else..