7th & 8th Fruits: Faithfulness and Humility

INTRODUCTION (you can skip this if you are already following the Fruits of the Holy Spirit series.) We continue our mini-meditations on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul’s letter to the Galatians lists nine of them: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, drawing on other biblical teachings, include four additional fruits: generosity, gentleness, modesty and chastity. (CCC #1832) The added four emphasize aspects of the original nine; generosity, for example, would likely be included in teachings on love, gentleness with kindness, and chastity and modesty with self-control.

An easy way to understand the Fruits of the Spirit are to think of them as seeds of habits that we will need to live in heaven. The Holy Spirit plants them inside us, and if we tend to them like we would any plant or tree, they will grow and produce fruit, the spiritual kind.

We will follow the traditional lectio divina prayer form: reading, meditation, talk (pray), and contemplation.

READ the commentary and passage.

FAITHFULNESS

FAITHFULNESS means you are a person that can be trusted. Faithfulness is being reliable. It’s being loyal and conscientious. Faithfulness is maintaining allegiance and showing you feel a strong sense of duty and responsibility to the person or entity you are faithful to.

A Catholic writer online, using the Greek foundations for the word FAITHFULNESS, wrote that it is a combination of dependability and trust in God. We are faithful when we are committed to following God’s will, the teachings of Jesus, the Holy Scriptures, and the Catholic Church.

In other words, FAITHFULNESS is keeping our convenant with God, just as Noah, Abraham, Issac and Jacob did in the Old Testament; and just as Jesus taught us all, Israelite or not, to do.

[Jesus said] Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? He is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! (Matthew 24:45)

HUMILITY

HUMILITY is also called MEEKNESS. Both are the opposite of arrogance and pride. HUMILITY means you know your strengths, but you don’t flaunt them or think yourself superior to those who do not have your strengths.

People who are humble and meek are not afraid or mousy; just the opposite! Rather than proving themselves with anger and showiness–which brings attention–they promote peace by their forgiving and gracious manner. They don’t show off.

A minister once explained humility like a wild animal who is tamed. The animal doesn’t lose it’s strengths; it is disciplined in its use of its strengths so it can live in harmony with others.

[Jesus said]Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your souls. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light. (Matthew 11:29)

READ it a second time and notice what word, phrase, image, or emotion stuck out to you.

MEDITATE: Read the passage a third time. Then pause and ponder. What message does God seem to be sending you? Is He addressing your relationship with Him or with others? Is He advising you, or challenging you, or comforting you?

PRAY: Read the passage again. What is your response to God? What do you want to tell Him? How you feel? That you are sorry? Grateful? Worried? Thankful? Take the time to say all you have to say. Make it an honest prayer.

CONTEMPLATE: Read the passage one more time. Then sit quietly in God’s presence.

Please feel welcome to leave comments. You never know when someone will benefit greatly from what you say and your particular way of saying it. I’m praying for you.