Weekend Wisdom - May 4th, 2025

Humility In Action

As we mourn Pope Francis, we continue to pray for his soul and for ourselves and our conversion. Pope Francis was known for his humility, an attitude seen in the washing of the feet of prisoners (pictured below) and his attention to the poor and marginalized. Perhaps there is no better way to conclude these thoughts on humility than those with which the late pontiff ended his audience:

“Brothers and sisters, humility is everything. It is what saves us from the Evil One, and from the danger of becoming his accomplices. And humility is the source of peace in the world and in the Church. Where there is no humility, there is war, there is discord, there is division. God has given us an example of [humility] in Jesus and Mary, so that it may be our salvation and happiness. And humility is precisely the way, the path to salvation.”

The Pope's humility was apparent to the very end...as we watched his humble wooden casket (in and of itself a break with papal burial tradition) paraded through the streets of Rome, with his final resting place, not in the Vatican, but in Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. The pope's tomb is purposefully simple with a cross and his papal name neatly inscribed. We thank Pope Francis for his example of humility.

I witnessed another example of humility at the recently completed NFL draft in Green Bay. Fifteen of the top players to be selected in the draft were invited to the "green room" at draft headquarters to wait for their names to be called, where they were greeted with a bear hug from NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell and the cheers of their respective fans.

One player not invited to the "green room," but who came anyway, was defensive lineman Barryn Sorrell of Texas. He knew he did not have the skillset to be a 1st round pick, or even a 2nd round or 3rd round pick, for that matter. But he loved football and he loved his family for the support they provided over the years. So they all came to enjoy the draft experience in Green Bay.

Then, lo and behold, he get's drafted by the Packers in the 4th round...and makes the glorious walk from the "green room" anyway, and gets his commissioner hug, meets the fans and addresses the media. Google search "Barryn Sorrell NFL draft press conference" to really see humility in action. Shedeur Sanders could take some lessons from this young man! Hope you had a chance to experience the NFL draft... Go Pack Go!!

Brant Bergeron

St. Mary Office Manager