Humility Gives No Traction to Evil
Rick Becker (a Danish-American businessman and politician) once wrote an excellent article about Bishop Bonaventure F. Broderick, a man who battled ecclesial controversy during the early years of the 20th century, then quietly spent three decades pumping gas — largely unnoticed.
After much patience, the good bishop was eventually restored to the honors befitting his episcopal rank and granted the assignment no less prestigious than the Archdiocese of New York. His story is a striking reminder that God may lead us along paths that appear lowly or hidden, not as punishment, but for His greater glory.
Seen or Unseen
Humility is not self-contempt; it is truth lived without pretense. Whether God places us before crowds or removes us from view entirely, the task remains the same: fidelity.
We are called to live according to God’s laws regardless of our state in life.
We are called to follow God, irrespective of how many friends, acquaintances, or strangers follow our profile.
We are called to praise Him regardless of how many thumbs-up icons are attached to our comments and musings.
Only humility preserves the light of Christ within us. It leaves no foothold for pride. The devil gets hold of us wherever we cling to our desire for recognition, control, or the approval of others.
Shield against Temptation
Humility makes us less susceptible to temptation. We don’t fool ourselves that we are superior to others, that we deserve more, or that the rules should bend in our situation. Clothed in humility, we slide past the devil’s attempts to ensnare us with praise, bitterness, or resentment.
The humble soul focuses primarily on the relationship between God and self. Thus, the humble soul remains detached from others and ultimately free — free to love, free to serve, free to disappear if God so wills.
Let us ask for the grace to be content wherever God places us, trusting that obscurity borne in faith may shine more brightly than any public honor.
Why Does Humility Protect Us from Evil?
Humility protects the soul because it removes pride, which is the devil’s primary entry point. When we no longer crave recognition, control, or approval, temptation loses much of its power. The humble person accepts God’s will whether in honor or obscurity, and therefore remains spiritually stable. In humility, evil finds no traction.