Because of original sin, human beings are not capable of perfectly carrying out God’s will. In our reflection two weeks ago, we saw that Mary, because of the unique gift of the Immaculate Conception, was able to remain sinless. But that gift was singular; no other human being has been granted it.   

Yet, the fact that we sin does not mean that we are unable to grow in virtue. Although we will never be perfect, we can strive, with God’s grace, to become the best version of ourselves possible.  

Three things can help us to increase our humility. The first is prayer. If we wish to see ourselves as God sees us (that is, to be humble), we need to be in dialogue with Him. No relationship can ever grow if there is no communication. That communication requires both speaking to God and also listening. He will reveal to us – through our own insights, through the Scriptures and spiritual reading, and through the input of others – exactly who we are and who we are meant to be.   

The second helpful practice is honesty. We must be honest with ourselves about ourselves. To know our strengths and weaknesses, our gifts and our temptations, our virtues and our sins, is a key to humility. This kind of honesty is not easy, and it is not meant to inflate our ego or to degrade us in our own sight. Instead, it is meant as a tool to see where the Lord may be calling us to and how we can fulfill our part of His mission.  

Finally, we can practice reflection. This puts the other two practices – humility and honesty – together. If we are engaged in dialogue with God and are honest about how He sees us, then we can properly reflect on how, with His grace, we can improve in humility. In cooperating with Him, we can do as He wills and we can avoid temptation to sin.   

Through these three practices we grow in our understanding of how God sees us – we become humble. We must never think that we are incapable of growth, no matter who we are, how old we are, or what we have done in the past. Our God is the God of second (and third, and one-thousandth) chances.   

This week, let us become more humble by practicing prayer, honesty, and reflection.