Pillars of Fire In My Soul

True humility is being able to look at ourselves honestly and see ourselves as we really are: our faults, our goodness, our weaknesses, our strengths, our defects, our talents, our short- comings, our gifts. True humility seeks to know who we are in the context of love and mercy. True humility sees who we are in all of our human frailty in the light of God’s infinite perfection — and allows us to accept ourselves, just as we are, as beloved children of God. True humility does not judge or condemn. True humility is not indifferent or prejudiced towards others. True humility sees that we are all equally precious in the eyes of God, and that each of us is blessed with particular gifts to accomplish what God needs us to accomplish during our lifetime. True humility lets us follow the path that God has chosen for us without fear of what others may think of us. True humility allows us to trust God, even when God’s way for us seems risky or lonely or puzzling. Helen’s great desire was to join a religious order in order to grow in perfection. However, her family’s objections distracted her from that path until Jesus asked why she was keeping Him waiting. This was a great lesson in humility for Helen. She saw herself in the light of Jesus’ perfection and knew that she, in her humanity, had let Him down. From that point forward, Helen became totally receptive and available to God, moving around any obstacle that might prevent her from continuing on the road to holiness. For example, when she interviewed with Mother Michael Moraczewska, the Mother Superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw, Helen had no money to pay for the clothing she would need in the religious life. Helen moved around this obstacle by following Mother Michael’s sugges- tion to work and save a few hundred zlotys . She saved the money within a year, much to Mother Michael’s surprise, and was admitted to the novitiate on August 1, 1925. The Road to Canonization 147