A Model of Humility

St. Benedict devoted the longest chapter in his Rule to humility. Nonetheless, the best way to grasp this concept is to see it embodied in someone who has been practicing it for a long time. Such is the case with Sr. Bettina Tobin, who died on September 16 at age 93.

Sr. Bettina grew up on a small farm in Burlington Junction, Mo., and the sense of being grounded in the earth and connected to God through nature and animals never left her. She related well to children because she respected them and shared their sense of play and wonder. Because she was so observant, she also had a well-developed sense of humor.

Although Sr. Bettina was very unassuming and had a quietness of soul, she led an adventurous and accomplished life. She taught for 30 years, served as a missionary in Brazil for 12 years, spent a sabbatical at Madonna House in Canada, and published two children’s books at age 90. Her inquisitive nature led her to take summer courses in whatever caught her fancy — usually art and literature.

C.S. Lewis famously said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.” Sr. Bettina had definite opinions and convictions and was willing to express them, but she didn’t insist on having her own way. This ability to set aside her self-will came from a lifetime of putting herself in God’s hands. Sr. Kathleen Flanagan told me that every day for many years, Sr. Bettina would go to the chapel and pray for three things: (1) that St. Scholastica would help her be a good sister; (2) that all decisions made by the community would be aligned with God’s will; and (3) that when it came time for her to die, Saints Benedict and Scholastica would come to take her to heaven.

It appears that Sr. Bettina’s prayers for a happy death were answered. After being hospitalized because of pneumonia and heart issues, she had just enough time before she died to call or FaceTime or have in-person visits with her family members. She was in good spirits and confided to several sisters that she was excited to go and see what heaven was like. She wanted to die at the Mount, and within minutes after reaching her room and getting settled into bed, Saints Benedict and Scholastica answered her prayer and whisked her away to her heavenly home.

As St. Benedict outlined in the prologue to his Rule, Sr. Bettina did indeed progress in this way of life and in faith and ran on the path of God’s commandments, her heart overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love. In doing so, she has provided us with a model of how we can do the same.