Downward mobility, a spirituality?

To go up the ladder of success, fame and power is the way to greatness for many people even millennials today. This has become an obssession, a way of life or even a spirituality that can also be labelled in contrast as Upward Mobility.

We know that there are good and bad, legal and illegal, moral and immoral ways and means to achieve greatness or the celebrity status. We will not go into this matter. We will instead deepen our understanding of Downward Mobility.

There are in our Catholic tradition certain words and expressions about the spirituality of Downward Mobility. The most common is the process of becoming a child or of being humble and meek. Jesus presents Himself as the model. “Learn of me because I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29). He advices us, “Unless you become like little children you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3).

All the saints and martyrs were humble persons. It was St. Therese of the Child Jesus who taught and popularized the Way of Littleness. This is one reason why she was considered Doctor of the Church.

One biblical scholar describes Downward Mobility as “putting us in touch again with our ultimate Origin… the closest to which is the child not yet exposed to the ways of the world, thus uncorrupted by hunger for success, fame and power (Sr. Bernardita Dianzon, fsp, 2019 Gospel Power, Monday September 30, Paulines Publishing House).

In technical biblical language Downward Mobility is expressed by that Greek word Kenosis which means self-emptying. The is also called the Carrying of our Cross daily to follow Jesus (Lk 14:2). There cannot be authentic Christianity without the Cross. For, there cannot be resurrection without death. So no one and nothing matures to perfection without pain or something similar to pain.

We have to pray for this grace constantly and examine ourselves seriously because the devil is so wise that it can subtly influence our thinking and deceive us to the point of being proud of our humility!