At the beginning of every new year it is customary to make resolutions. As we perfectly know, these resolutions tend to be broken after few days, (even few hours) from when we make them. However, the New Year’s resolutions may prove vital in order to achieve some sort of direction for the rest of the year, which has just begun.

A fundamental attitude in life is humility. Without this virtue one can hardly live in harmony with God, the others and oneself. The humble person does nothing out of pure selfishness or conceit but counts others better than herself/himself (see Phil 2, 3).

The Bible says that the humble is open to God’s guidance: “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way” (Ps 25, 9).

In humility one recognises her/his true self before everyone. Although such an exercise is so painful yet it is so liberating and life transforming up to the point that from a devil one can become an angel.

As St Augustine states: “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.”

Humility makes us more human and widely opens the gateways of heaven for us. Only the humble can have a through understanding of what life is all about. The humble always concentrates on what s/he has to improve on. S/he knows that s/he is a work in progress.

Once, an old man was asked, “What is humility?” and he said in reply, “Humility is a great work, and a work of God. The way of humility is to undertake bodily labour and believe yourself a sinner and make yourself subject to all.” Then a brother said, “What does it mean, to be subject to all?” The old man answered, “To be subject to all is not to give your attention to the sins of others but always to give your attention to your own sins and to pray without ceasing to God.”

If we all strive to better our lives in every aspect, then this year would be a real blessing for our physical, social and spiritual development.

St Augustine writes: “This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.” It is through continual confession, correction and encouragement that a person grows. Our readiness to be open for our growth, even if that means pain, is our surest guarantee that our lives are responsibly lived and cared for.

Let us make our own the following prayer on humility at the start of this New Year. May this prayer make us more receptive to the reality that life is a long lesson in humility.

“Incline us O God, and let us be focused humbly of ourselves, to be saved only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with the charity which we would desire from them ourselves.

Let every move that we make be offered to mankind without the feeling of desire of getting credit nor acknowledgment on every good deed and things that we participate in.

Let us feel to continuously allow ourselves to offer more rather than to receive more. For we know the we already received the share of Your grace and we are only sharing the overflows.

Let us seek less that we can offer more Father, and that in your mercy and grace, we can always do things according to Your will. Amen.”

Fr Mario Attard

OFM Cap

San Gwann