What it means to be ‘humble’

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‘A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.’

Ps 50

One of the things the Church urges us to do in Lent is to go to confession.

Sadly, regular confession is no longer one of the hallmarks of Catholic devotional life. Other Christians are happy to confess their sins directly to God, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there is something humanly important about acknowledging our need for forgiveness and speaking it out in some way; it is part of what it means to be ‘humble’. Humility has a bad press in our world, where it has come down to mean a grovelling attitude. Not a bit of it.

Humility is a strong virtue, and it is above all the virtue that speaks of our need to put others first, and to take the plank out of our own eye before judging our neighbour. So the humble Catholic will see confession as an opportunity to acknowledge before God through the priest that he or she needs forgiveness and the grace of the sacrament to live a good life. Confession, therefore, is sacramentally important as a sign of God’s love that actually effects divine forgiveness in the words and gestures of the priest. The priest in this case is not just a stand-in for God, but God is using his humanity to bring about forgiveness of sin - even if the priest may be a bit grumpy!


A humbled, contrite heart, therefore, is one that will want to confess before God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a fundamental part of preparing for Easter. Take the opportunity to attend a penitential service in your parish, as a collective way of celebrating the sacrament is a powerful statement about the shared nature of sinfulness. We are all sinners; and our reconciliation is not just with God but with others at the same time. And don’t worry if you have been away from confession for some time. Remember, ‘there is more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous ones who have no need of repentance’ (Lk 15:7).

A reflection written by Paul Graham O.S.A., St Joseph's Broomhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland


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