June is the month of the Sacred Heart, and this year the feast actually coincides with the First Friday, which is not a common occurrence. Even though the devotion to the Sacred Heart as we know it did not become current among Catholics until modern times, its sources go all the way back to the Gospel itself. Our Blessed Lord tells us that He is meek and humble of heart, thus opening up for us a path to follow.
As far back as St Augustine, it has been pointed out that when the Lord offers His Heart to us as a model of virtue, the only virtues He mentions are meekness and humility, as if to say that if those two foundational virtues are in place, then all the others will follow. Why is that? Quite simply because humility is the virtue that puts us where we should be, and it therefore allows God to lift us up to Himself. Pride on the other hand moves us to take God’s place and thus He can no longer give us His grace. Pride closes the door to grace, for it refuses to acknowledge our need for it.
During this month of June which has diabolically become a month of the manifestation of the most repugnant pride, that is to say, pride for what is in reality a motive of shame, let us seek to atone for those sins of pride which so offend the Heart of our sweet Saviour by making frequent acts of humility and trust in Our Lord. The simple prayer: Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine, is one of the most simple and powerful prayers, for it goes straight to the heart of the matter (pun intended) of our sanctification. If we are humble, we will be saved. Only humility saves. Pride of itself damns. Pride was Lucifer’s only sin, and it alone is enough to send a soul to hell forever.
So how to go about making acts of humility? Other than frequently reciting the prayer just mentioned, we should make an effort to put others before ourselves, to sincerely think we might possibly be wrong every now and then or less inspired than others. It’s also very good for humility to intentionally take a lower place or position, to let others speak first, to listen attentively to what they are saying as if it really mattered (it does!), to not brag about whatever good things we may have done, for they are simply gifts of God. A very important and most effective way of growing in humility is to acquiesce to the reality of our own weaknesses and even sins. When we fall or when others point out our mistakes, those are golden opportunities to say to Our Lord: Well, Lord, that’s me, so weak, so poor, so needy. What gives me peace is to know that You have all the graces I need, so here I am asking, empty-handed, deprived of all and any good, so please fill me to the brim.
Such prayers please the Divine Heart to whom be honour and glory forever. Amen.
