None of us is perfect; we are sinners all. One of the most noticed qualities of Pope Francis is that he refers to himself as a sinner from time to time. If you are a devotee of the lives of the saints, you will no doubt notice that the saints are constantly referring to themselves as the most abject of sinners. While we might read this as a sign of great humility, there is no doubt that we are all sinners. One of my favorite quips is that there is only one difference between a saint and a sinner; namely, the saints are dead.
Today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew refers to a practice that is so much a part of human nature. We will often try to compare ourselves to others in order to come up looking better than. . . The fact of the matter is that rather than looking at the sins of others and comparing them to ours, it would be far more beneficial for us to spend time trying to conquer our own faults and bad habits. So many of the saints guide us in the practice of examination of conscience, both general and particular, in order to steer our lives away from sin. Unfortunately, we are much better at examining the lives of others rather than our own. Jesus refers to this as hypocrisy, and so it is.
The word “humility” comes from the Latin root “humus” which means “earth” or “soil.” This virtue is rooted in the knowledge that each of us was created from the dust of the earth and shall all return to it. Rather than vaunting our accomplishments and proclaiming our successes, the Gospel asks us to be mindful of that from which we came and to which we will return.
Much is expected of those to whom much has been given. Rather than comparing our sins to the sins of others, it might do us much more good to compare what we have been given by way of our faith and our vocation to that of others. We have been the recipients of benefits that far outstrip those of so many others. Consequently, much more is expected of us. When we realize this, we will no longer be tempted to compare ourselves to others.