Hope and Humility

Oscar Wilde spoke these profound words: “every saint has a past and every sinner a future.”

All of us have committed some sort of sin in our lives. We’ve all made mistakes. A healthy person recognises the mistakes he or she has made and commits to not making them again. Committing to not making them again is to affirm that one has a bright future. An unhealthy person dwells on the past, mired in guilt. Such a person is unable to see the light at the end of tunnel – they are stuck in the tunnel, afraid to move through it because they see it as an impossible task. The difference between the two is that the first person has hope.

Most of us have experienced periods of success, if only for a short time. A healthy person remembers the time when he or she was not so successful and thus cautions oneself against becoming smug and complacent and taking things for granted. Such a person treads carefully in his or her work and personal lives. An unhealthy person forgets about his or her past and revels in the present success. Such a person jumps around in his or her excitement, which ultimately leads to a slip and fall. The difference between the two is that the first person has humility. 

Hope and humility are two attitudes or states of being that assist us in leading optimistic, responsible lives. May God grant us hope and humility and save us from despair and arrogance. Aameen.