Humility is Catholic, Not Pride

Pride is not what Catholics, and the rest of humanity, is called to. We brought are in the life to know, love, and serve God so we can better do so in eternity. This is God's everpresent desire for us. However, we cannot effectively do so if we allow even subtle pride to influence our desires, thoughts, words, and deeds. It can come in different varieties and shapes, but pride itself is the chief sin and favorite tool/trait of the Devil. Some of the trends out there amongst our brethren can be almost summed up in these phrases.

1. "The Pope is killing the Church. I know what the Church really needs, since I was in it before Vatican II." (Sorrow at abuse giving way to the belief that one has a right to disrespect a divinely-instituted office.)
2. "The Church needs to get with the times, and stop being so backwards." (Albeit a deviant form of Protestantism, which works hand in hand with pride, this disordered desire tries to compromise truths of reality safeguarded by the Church to fit hellish agendas against the human soul.)
3. "When is Mass over? I have somewhere to be!" (Most dangerous to the soul is the idea that anywhere but in God's presence is more precious to the soul.)
4. "Why should it matter what I do as long as I'm a good person?" (Pride insists disordered superiority, and if we find ourselves unwilling to accept and change what is wrong in our hearts, we become blind to seeing how to help those who self-inflict their souls with sinful lives.)

There are more examples, but calling out fault ad nauseum will not bring anyone closer to God. To come to Christ in a way which breathes of the humility we need is through Mary, who willingly entrusted her life to God's desires for her. She did not ask for the suffering she would witness and experience, nor did she seek to be granted so single an honor as to be the Mother of the Messiah, and in eternity, the Queen of Heaven. She does not seek her own glory, or to have her word as the final word, even being nearer to God than any other member of humanity. Instead, her motherly heart yearns for us to love Christ above ourselves at all times; and that can mean biting our tongue when we have been personally wounded, offering up the pain we feel so good might come of it, and defending what is true, not with bitter words and a desire to win for its own sake, but because what is good by nature deserves to be preserved so others can benefit from its fruit and continue to help such seeds be planted in other human hearts.

The only means of overcoming pride is humility. The Devil cannot stand before the Blessed Mother, and if we would but seek her intercession for us with Her Son, and ask her to guide us in true Christian life, we will see day by day that the Devil need not have power over us. If we seek being faithful to God before being right, then we will be able to do what so many don't believe possible: live without the bitterness that exists in a fallen world. So what we we waiting for?

Blessed Mother, Mediatrix of Humanity with Jesus, bring us nearer to the Redeemer, whom we have so hurt by our many sins. Help us to learn true repentance, and daily renew our baptismal promise to reject Satan and all his works and empty promises.