In his sermon on the mountain, Jesus attributed the kingdom of heaven to those who are humble of heart. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5, 3). For St Luke, the glory of God is shown when the lowly are exalted and the rich are “sent empty away” (Lk 1, 53). God has no place in a proud heart since its imagination is contaminated by self-worship! Only to the humble that God’s grace is given. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pt 5, 5). “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you” (1 Pt 5, 6).

The humble is the one who with his/her own existence endorses Jesus’ primacy in his/her life. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3, 30). The priest “represents Christ the head, shepherd and spouse of the Church” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 16). He can be a genuine representation of his Master when he opens his heart, mind and will for Jesus’ message and lifestyle of self-giving love, when in Christ’s presence he considers himself the biggest sinner of all, in constant need of God forgiveness and mercy for his countless miseries. With “the tax collector, standing far off… not even lift[ing] up his eyes to heaven, but beat[ing] his breast,” [the humble priest] say[s]: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Lk 18, 13). With the Canaanite woman and the blind Bartimae’us, he cries out to the Lord: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mk 10, 47).

In the general audience of 5 May 1993, Pope John Paul II said: “Thus even presbyters should personally live with the attitude of men who recognise their own sins and their own need of pardon, in a communion of humility and penance with the faithful. In this manner, they could manifest more efficaciously the greatness of divine mercy and grant a celestial comfort, together with forgiveness, to those who feel themselves oppressed by the weight of their faults.”

Only those priests who experience God’s lavish forgiveness for them shall afford to be merciful to those who sin.

May every priest who longs to be humble make the following prayer his life motto:

Lord Jesus, I earnestly pray that you increase and I decrease. I pray this in your precious and powerful name. Amen.

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap

San Gwann