The 16th Sunday after Pentecost - The Proud Choirmaster - Humility
"He that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
In a certain Cathedral in Europe devotion to the Blessed Virgin is very important. Her feasts were celebrated with great pomp and ceremony. Her praises were sung by the choir with great fervor. On the feast of the Immaculate Conception it was the custom to sing that beautiful hymn to Our Lady, "The Magnificat." Mary put together the words of that hymn herself. It had always been sung in this Cathedral by the whole choir together.
One year, though, the choir leader, who had a very beautiful voice, decided that instead of having everyone sing it he would do it alone Which he did, well and beautifully. That night he had a vision and was asked by the Blessed Virgin why the Magnificat had not been sung in her honor, as it had been for hundreds of years. The choir leader said that it had been sung, and by himself, personally. Mary replied, "You wished to glorify yourself. You sang the hymn out of pride and not one sound if it reached heaven." "He that exalteth himself shall be humbled."
Humility is a virtue which makes our souls very dear to God. He even told us to imitate Him because He is meek and humble of heart. Being humble means that we do not think too much of ourselves. When children think too much of themselves it can show in several ways. By being stuck up, for example, or by showing off, or by trying to attract attention too themselves, or by boasting. All these things are signs that the virtue of humility is not very strong in our souls and that we should try to strengthen it. We should try to strengthen it by performing actions which will humble us. By letting someone else do most of the talking for a while, by not boasting, and so on. In this way our souls will become more and more beautiful. We do not like to see children who are not humble. God doesn't like to see them either.
Peter Reubens, a great painter, was traveling in Madrid in Spain. He visited a monastery and admired the paintings that were hanging on the walls. Reubens pointed out one picture which was a masterpiece, and asked the prior who the artist was, because his name did no appear on the painting. The prior replied that it as done by a monk of the monastery who wanted to remain hidden from the world and go through life without any worldly praise. Reubens tried in vain to find out who the artist was. No one would tell him. When he left, the prior went up to his rooms and touched his brushes. He was the painter of those pictures. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
~ Sunday Morning Storyland, Imprimatur, 1945 ~
In a certain Cathedral in Europe devotion to the Blessed Virgin is very important. Her feasts were celebrated with great pomp and ceremony. Her praises were sung by the choir with great fervor. On the feast of the Immaculate Conception it was the custom to sing that beautiful hymn to Our Lady, "The Magnificat." Mary put together the words of that hymn herself. It had always been sung in this Cathedral by the whole choir together.
One year, though, the choir leader, who had a very beautiful voice, decided that instead of having everyone sing it he would do it alone Which he did, well and beautifully. That night he had a vision and was asked by the Blessed Virgin why the Magnificat had not been sung in her honor, as it had been for hundreds of years. The choir leader said that it had been sung, and by himself, personally. Mary replied, "You wished to glorify yourself. You sang the hymn out of pride and not one sound if it reached heaven." "He that exalteth himself shall be humbled."
Humility is a virtue which makes our souls very dear to God. He even told us to imitate Him because He is meek and humble of heart. Being humble means that we do not think too much of ourselves. When children think too much of themselves it can show in several ways. By being stuck up, for example, or by showing off, or by trying to attract attention too themselves, or by boasting. All these things are signs that the virtue of humility is not very strong in our souls and that we should try to strengthen it. We should try to strengthen it by performing actions which will humble us. By letting someone else do most of the talking for a while, by not boasting, and so on. In this way our souls will become more and more beautiful. We do not like to see children who are not humble. God doesn't like to see them either.
Peter Reubens, a great painter, was traveling in Madrid in Spain. He visited a monastery and admired the paintings that were hanging on the walls. Reubens pointed out one picture which was a masterpiece, and asked the prior who the artist was, because his name did no appear on the painting. The prior replied that it as done by a monk of the monastery who wanted to remain hidden from the world and go through life without any worldly praise. Reubens tried in vain to find out who the artist was. No one would tell him. When he left, the prior went up to his rooms and touched his brushes. He was the painter of those pictures. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
~ Sunday Morning Storyland, Imprimatur, 1945 ~