Principles Day 21 – Humility, Love and Joy

Day 21 – The Three Notes of the Order

Humility, love, and joy are the three notes that mark the lives of Tertiaries. When these characteristics are evident throughout the Order, its work will be fruitful. Without them all that it attempts will be in vain.

'Humble, humus, homo, of the earth.'
Grounded, but gladly answering when called;
not puffing up nor playing down our worth;
to love ourselves just as our neighbour's loved.
To meet the other's eyes and smile; to keep
no score of wrongs; to see the sparks that guide
each child of God; to care, and trust, and hope
in darkness and in light, all ego laid aside.

And in this grounded, loving walk is joy.
To share our Mother Earth's good gifts with all;
to bask in Brother Sun who brings the day;
heed Sister Moon and stars, whose whispered call
awakes the subtle beauty of the night.
All praise to God, who hallows dark and light.

The Shorter Oxford Dictionary informs me that the origin of the word 'humble' is the Old French 'umble', from Latin 'humilis' which is in turn from 'humus', the ground or earth, which is also related to 'homo', human.