A great retreat, in pictures, and How to Be Humble!

We had an AMAZING Catholic Campus Ministry Retreat this weekend at BayCliff.  Our first retreat at that beautiful place, 66 college students from NMU, MTU, LSSU, and for the first time, Bay College.  Our retreat director was Fr. Eric Weber, a priest of the Diocese of Lansing who teaches at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in  Detroit.  He gave us 5 amazing talks, and a great closing homily. We had confessions, Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and plenty of social time.  The Lord was VERY generous this weekend!

Bishop Sample came to celebrate Mass and meet with the students on Saturday afternoon. We took a great group picture:

The whole kit and kaboodle: Bishop Sample, 4 priests, 3 campus ministers, 66 college students! AWESOME!

All the pictures I took are up here on Facebook: Pictures of Retreat.  You don't need an account to view them.

I poached some good material from Fr. Eric from his talk on humility for my homily this evening.  I hope you might find it helpful as I did:

How to be Humble

Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Why is the Pharisee left unjustified? Is God so mad at him because he’s a hypocrite? We hear over and over again in the Scriptures that judgment is real. There are eternal consequences to our decisions hear on earth. It is possible to be damned. What about God’s love and mercy? If God loves us so much, how could He judge us or punish us?

We had a wonderful campus ministry retreat this weekend up at BayCliff in Big Bay, 66 students from NMU, MTU, LSSU, and Bay College. The biggest fall retreat every! Our retreat was led by Fr. Eric Weber, a young priest who teaches at the seminary in Detroit. One of his 5 talks was dedicated to humility, and I’m going to rely this evening on his talk, which really struck me to the heart.

The Pharisee is left in his sin, despite his visit to the temple. This is not because God is vengeful or capricious. It is the consequence of the Pharisee’s attitude. If we approach life as he does, the result of our decision will be deep pain and suffering on our part. We will not be healed. If we look around at the weakness of others, and count ourselves content as long as we can see somebody who’s messing up their life more than us, we will not experience happiness or joy or peace. We will be left out of right relationship not only with God, but also with all those around us. Essentially, as the Lord of Heaven and Earth sustains us in being out of love, as He offers us grace and joy and peace, as He offers us even His own Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity…. as we are offered everything, our hands will be clenched tight, our hearts and lives will be hunched in on themselves, our eyes will be too busy looking around to catch someone making a mistake to see the Lord RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!


So, how do we open ourselves up to the gift that God wants to give us? Humility. We must approach the Lord as the tax collector did, or the publican. Let’s be clear – the publican took out tax-contracts from the Romans, and any extra he could squeeze out of the poor was his to keep. Think Sheriff of Nottingham or a gang collecting “protection money” rather than IRS. The Pharisee is not inaccurate in judging the tax-collector. This man, who has very likely done a great deal of wrong, approaches the Lord in humility, deeply aware of his need for repentance and healing, and Jesus tells us his prayer is heard.

So, how do we attain humility? It is NOT a matter of running ourselves down or thinking poorly of ourselves. Here’s a definition of humility: the virtue (or habit) by which one attributes to God all the good one possesses. And this attribution is not a fiction – it’s true. What do we have that we have not been given by God? Even the fruit of our hard work and labor is also the fruit of the life and gifts that God has given us. Each moment, each breath is a gift. We are sustained in existence by the unwavering and faithful love of the Father. If we come to grips with reality, we will begin to enter into humility. To be humble is not to be a doormat, not to have low self-esteem. To be humble is to see what is, to recognize all as gift. The humble man, the humble woman, can then boldly and courageously give all.

Fr. Eric gave us 5 ways to cultivate humility – I hope you find them helpful as I have. First: We’re all airheads! We constantly blunder around making mistakes. I got up early Monday, said my prayers, and since I had 45 minutes until Mass, I decided to give myself a haircut. I haven't paid for one since 1997!  But, after cutting a patch of longer hair off the front of my head, the trimmer stopped working! After disassembling and reassembling it 3 times with my pocket knife, I finally got it going, with 12 minutes to go before morning Mass.  Yikes!  Why would God entrust us with anything? And, yet, He has!  

Second, Ask God for help in prayer. As we ask for help, we’re reminded that we need God. One simple lesson: There is a God, you’re not Him! As we step into the light of God’s love, He will show us our weakness little by little so that we can seek healing. He doesn’t crush us by showing it to us all at once! Windshield example.  

Third: The Sacrament of Reconciliation This is an opportunity of great beauty and grace, and it is humbling. Mysteriously, Jesus entrusted the power to forgive sins to the Church, to the priests. When I think about my own weakness, this is pretty astounding! And yet, I have seen over and over again, even in just 14 months of priesthood, how the Lord can work powerfully even through me. We bring the Lord garbage, and He gives us healing and beauty in return! If you haven’t been to confession in a while, get into the box! Mercy and healing await, and humility.  

Fourth: Thankfulness. We can approach life in two ways: I’m constantly getting ripped off, it’s not fair. Or – Everything I’ve got is undeserved, it is all gift. This second option has the great benefit of being true! And, so, we give thanks. If you find yourself slipping into bitterness, into judgment, into envy or jealousy: STOP, start giving thanks for what the Lord has given you. Build, then, thankfulness into your daily schedule.  

Finally, fifth, Christian Service. We serve others for a different reason than the world. It’s not essentially to do something good, or to make a better world, although those are good reasons. It’s to serve Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter 25 we’re told that we will be judged on how we treat the least among us. Whether this is someone homeless, or someone awkward, or someone lonely, whoever this is, our service to them is our service to Christ. Fr. Eric tells of a poster he saw at a house of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s order: JOY – Jesus, others, you. If we order our concerns in this way, we will experience the true joy of self-gift in Christ.

So: Remember that we’re airheads, ask God for help in prayer, seek forgiveness through Confession, be Thankful, and serve Christ in others. This will build in your heart the virtue of humility, and open your life to the Lord’s grace, guidance, and beauty.

Paul speaks the words from our 2nd reading, “Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.” He speaks not out of pride, but out of wonder at what God has done in His life. May we bring that same gratitude and wonder, that same confidence in the Lord’s mercy to the altar this evening and receive from this altar infinite light and strength.