Roche Center Faith Feeds Guide - Humility: In Challenging Times
Having a faith conversation with old and new friends is as easy as setting the table.
FAITH FEEDS GUIDE HUMILITY: IN CHALLENGING TIMES
Introduction to FAITH FEEDS 3
Conversation Starters 6
• Making Room by Denise Morris 7 Conversation Starters 9
• Seeing as God Sees by Caitlin Keeton 10 Conversation Starters 12
• Humility is Born of Love by Carly-Anne Gannon 13 Conversation Starters 14
• Gathering Prayer 15
Faith Feeds is an initiative by Boston College’s Church in the 21st Century Program (C21), a Center that serves as a catalyst and resource for renewal of the Catholic Church in the United States. Faith Feeds was originally designed for individuals in Catholic parishes who are hungry for opportunities to talk about their faith with others who share it. Considering many Catholic schools are an extension of a parish, in partnership with the Roche Center for Catholic Education, a Center that forms Catholic educators to become agents of change who work to create excellent PreK-12 Catholic schools, a customized set of guides have been developed for Catholic educators.
Educators who strive for this excellence embody the following five virtues that allow them to transform Catholic schools: adaptable, joyful, attentive, visionary, and humble. St. Ignatius stated, “All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully. As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and
The development of Faith Feeds guides around these five gifts or virtues, challenges Catholic educators to reflect on how they are living out being adaptable, joyful, attentive, visionary, and humble in their everyday life. Together, C21 and the Roche Center hope to deepen one’s faith and bring communities of people together, especially during this time of social isolation, through these Faith Feeds reflections and questions. All authors in these special Catholic educator editions are committed Catholic educators who have a deep love for Catholic schools. Some authors currently serve as leaders in Catholic schools, others teach Catholic educators at the university level. Drawing voices from the United States and Ireland, all authors are connected by their love for Catholic schools and strive daily in their vocations to love and serve God.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who should host a FAITH FEEDS?
Anyone who has a heart for facilitating conversations about faith, education, and leadership is perfect to FAITH FEEDS.
Where do I host a FAITH FEEDS?
You can host a FAITH FEEDS in-person or virtually through video conference software. FAITH FEEDS conversations are meant for small groups of 10-12
What is the host’s commitment?
The host is responsible for coordinating meeting times, sending out materials and video conference links, and facilitating conversation during the
What is the guest’s commitment?
Guests are asked to read the articles that will be discussed and be open to faith-filled conversation.
Still have more questions?
No problem! Email karen.kiefer@bc.edu and we’ll help you get set up.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Decide to host a FAITH FEEDS. Coordinate a date, time, location, and guest list. An hour is enough time to allocate for the virtual or in-person gathering.
Interested participants are asked to RSVP directly to you, the host. Once you have your list of attendees, confirm with everyone via email. That would be the appropriate time to ask in-person guests to commit to bringing a potluck dish or drink to the gathering. For virtual FAITH FEEDS, send out your video conference link.
Review the selected articles from your FAITH FEEDS Guide and the questions that will serve as a starter for your FAITH discussion. Hosts should send their guests a link to the guide, which can be found on bc.edu/FAITHFEEDS.
Send out a confirmation email a week before the FAITH gathering. Hosts should arrive early for in-person or virtual set up. Begin with the Gathering Prayer found on the last page of this guide. Hosts can open the discussion by using the suggested questions. The conversation should grow organically from there. Enjoy this gathering of new friends, knowing the Lord is with YOU!
Make plans for another FAITH FEEDS. We would love to hear about your FAITH FEEDS experience. You can find contact information on the last page of this guide.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
Here are three articles to guide your FAITH FEEDS conversation. We suggest that you select two that will work best for your group, and if time permits, add in a third. In addition to the original article, you will find a relevant quotation, summary, and suggested questions for discussion. We offer these as tools for your use, but feel free to go where the Holy Spirit
This guide’s theme is: Humility: In Challenging Times
MAKING ROOM
By Denise Morris
In his 2020 Palm Sunday homily, Fr. Tony Penna, Associate Vice President and Director of Campus Ministry at Boston College, defined humility as “making enough room within you for the other person in the room.” While we have managed pretty well at ‘making room’ for others—six feet to be exact—physical space during the COVID-19 pandemic was not what Fr. Tony had in mind. Instead, he was challenging us to make intellectual and emotional space for the experiences, perspectives, and wisdom of others. Humility
does not demand that we forego our own convictions. Rather, it informs the way we navigate relationships: with respect and the recognition that we can learn from others. Humility is the acknowledgement that our own experience and way of doing things, while unique, is not the only way.
The entirety of Jesus’ life and character witnessed to this humility of ‘making room.’ Scripture reveals that he made room for interruptions in his travel plans to heal and accompany others. He made room
for the disciples’ frustration and grief along the road to Emmaus when he asked, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” He made room for the bold response of the Syrophoenician woman and the transformative dialogue that ensued. And ultimately, Jesus made room for God’s will, even when it contradicted his own desire for death to pass him by. Isn’t it ironic that the Son of God, for whom there was no room at the inn, spent his earthly ministry making room for others?
Jesus’ example, along with Fr. Tony’s reflection, has challenged me to consider how I humbly make room for the many and varied experiences of my own students. Do I make room for them to share their experiences and perspectives—in group discussions, personal conversations, and in class assignments? Do I value and validate these experiences? Do I make room for different cultural practices and diverse expressions of our faith? Do students see their cultures and experiences reflected in curriculum materials and lessons? Do students feel that their experience is valued and that they belong? What communicates this belonging?
An image that Pope Francis uses to illustrate the
beauty that results from making room for others is a polyhedron. The geometric solid, which is also the shape of most cut diamonds, is a composite of surfaces that reflect light in distinct and peculiar ways. When every surface radiates its full and unique splendor, the diamond radiates its absolute brilliance. But when even one of the surfaces is dulled, the diamond’s luster is lacking. In much the same way, when we do not make room for others because of fear, ignorance, or the effort it would take to do so, then we miss out on the brilliance and diversity of our common humanity. We end up limiting ourselves to self-referential relationships, and our soul becomes separated from Truth, Love and Justice.1 If, however, we have the humility to make room for others, we might just find ourselves illuminated by their brilliance.
Denise Morris Graduate Student in Theology and Pastoral Ministry Boston College
1. Diego Fares. The Heart of Pope Francis: How a New Culture of Encounter Is Changing the Church and the World. Translated by Robert Hopcke. (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2015), 23-24.
MAKING ROOM
Questions for Conversation
Humility is defined as “making enough room within you for the other person in the room.” What are the strengths of this definition? The challenges? Shortcomings? How do you ‘make room’ for the diversity (experiences, cultures) of students in your classroom?
3. Where are you called to be more humble in your life?
SEEING AS GOD SEES
By Caitlin Keeton
When I was in the third grade, I distinctly remember the day I learned I wasn’t perfect. It was report card day. I was accustomed to being a strong student and also took great pride in earning top marks for all of the indicators under study skills and character habits. Until I didn’t. My teacher had given me a “needs improvement” for “accepts criticism favorably.” That cut to my core and still today is a vivid memory. I burst into tears. First, the shock. Me, needing improvement? Then, the denial. I don’t need improvement more than anyone else. No one is perfect. Who accepts criticism
favorably anyway? Soon after, the anger. Who does she think she is, judging my ability to accept criticism? What gives her the right? Oh, the irony. I definitely needed improvement when it came to accepting criticism favorably.
My desire to be perfect from an early age was probably a combination of my innate need to achieve as the oldest child in my family, as well as just a piece of my unique personality, but I think on some level, it was also connected to my faith. Even though I was raised in a loving family and my parents always said all of the
right things, at some level, I believed in my immature faith that I needed to earn God’s love; that if I did everything right, nothing bad would ever happen to me or my loved ones. I think the thirty years since that report card day have been one long journey towards acceptance of my far-from-perfect self, and surrender to a merciful God who loves me exactly as I am.
Saint Thomas Aquinas said that humility is “seeing ourselves as God sees us.” The beauty of this is that it’s a real, whole seeing. God sees everything: the good works and the sins, the virtues and the vices. There’s something so freeing about this; it gives us permission to be real. The root of the word “humility” means “from the earth”; in other words, humble people are grounded. They are not floating above with some false sense of pride, thinking that they are better than anyone else, but they also aren’t wallowing in shame and feelings of worthlessness. They don’t shout from the rooftops how wonderful they are, but they also don’t hide their lamps under bushel baskets. Their feet are firmly planted. They know who they are, owning both their gifts and their flaws. More importantly, they know whose they are; they know their gifts come from God, and they know God loves them completely, flaws and all. Criticism doesn’t destroy them because they can recognize it for what it is, a tool for growth.
For those of us who work in Catholic schools, it seems to me that our work cannot be done well without humility. Seeing oneself - and others - as God sees them is the essence of servant leadership. Jesus set the example for us in his encounters with Martha and Mary, with the woman at the well, with the woman caught in the act of adultery, and ultimately, as he washed his disciples’ feet at the Last Supper. Let us follow this example and be real and authentic as we serve in our ministry, seeing both ourselves and others through God’s eyes. Let us admit our mistakes and learn from them. Let us acknowledge that as hard as we may work, any talent we have is a gift from God. We are not self-made. Let us believe in, and see the many gifts in those around us as strengths to the common good of our community, rather than threats to our own imperfections. Let us, together, walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).
Caitlin Keeton Principal of St. Agnes BC UCTC Graduate
SEEING AS GOD SEES
Questions for Conversation
Who is a reminder of Christ’s eternal presence in your life? In what ways has Christ revealed himself to you through
Reflect on a time when the vision you had for yourself, was not necessarily what God had in store for you? What did you learn about yourself in this moment? How can you be more trusting of God’s vision for you?
Would you describe your day as one filled with busyness and anxiety or one where you were attentive and appreciative of the many ways God was revealed to you in all things? How can you develop a life where you are more attentive of God’s presence in your life?
HUMILITY IS BORN OF LOVE
By Carly-Anne Gannon
The eleventh chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew closes with The Gentle Mastery of Christ: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NABRE)
As Catholic educators, we need to be gentle with ourselves and others if we are to follow the gentle mastery of Christ. We must refrain from placing the burden of our egos on our fellow educators and students. Our yoke should be easy, and our burden light. We can receive the rest that Jesus offers us by adopting a childlike posture of obedience to Jesus’ preaching and the significance of his works. This obedience will increase our meekness and humility of heart. In turn, our students and colleagues will be at rest in our presence. They will be encouraged to express the fullness of their talents knowing they have the freedom to do so.
Humility, then, is born of a heart of love. Fr. Jean C. J. D’Elbée, I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat based on the Teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, encourages us to return Jesus’ love of us by our humble confidence in him. When we fail in love or humility, we can confidently trust in the love and mercy of Jesus: “[c] onfidence will be for you the golden key to His Heart.”
(D’Elbée, 26)
Humility, love, and confidence are foundational to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux’s Little Way of Spiritual Childhood. Thérèse’s security in Jesus’ love of her allowed for forgetfulness of self and her total abandonment to the will of God. In Thérèse’s autobiography, Story of a Soul, we see a model of a soul that renounces competition and comparison in favor of charity. Her confidence in God’s mercy allowed her to continually entrust her imperfections and efforts of perfection into God’s hands. Thérèse shows us that being humble is not false self-depreciation; but an honoring of God’s glory made manifest in our sisters, our brothers, and ourselves.
Thérèse’s disposition of charity is unitive in expression. As educators, we are called to a great effort of collaboration. Our shared responsibility of educating our students to pursue a flourishing life in service of others and God will only bare fruit by our cooperation. We also need to rely on each other when we are experiencing difficulties or suffering. Our need of one another’s gifts is made perfect in our humble acceptance of God’s unique love for each one us. Grounded in this love, we “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Carly-Anne Gannon Doctoral Student Boston College
HUMILITY IS BORN OF LOVE
Questions for Conversation
Think of a time where you felt you emulated Jesus’ meekness and humbleness. How did it feel? What enabled you to do this?
When have you found yourself putting too great a burden on yourself, fellow educators or students? Why was that the case? How can you lighten that burden going forward? When are you most forgetful of self, in the positive sense of serving others? What does this reveal to you? How can you foster this?
