Humility toward Ourselves: Humility of Heart
Humility of heart results in our being contented with our situation, loving being unknown and being reputed as nothing. The humble man knows the value of humiliations and bears them patiently. The more just we are, the more injustice we are likely to endure.
Sometimes God gives us a glimpse of our lack of personal worth; this should not discourage us; to see one’s defects is a grace from the Lord.
We should not allow self-pity to take hold of our soul. In order to serve, we need to be humble and learn to suffer cheerfully, without complain. Without the cross, there is no true growth in humility.
When we are humble, our interior life is no longer a lonely fight against our defects, or an exercise in “perfecting oneself,” but rather the abandonment of oneself in the hands of God, whose children we truly are.
Reputed as Nothing
* We are by nature what our Lord was by choice, namely, children of a fallen race, in a fallen world, and subject to the consequences of the fall.
All men are plunged in error–and the best among them are those who are forcing their way slowly and painfully out of the darkness into the light of truth. Where there is error, there are mistakes, suffering, conflict, and want of harmony. We are sinners: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8).
God does not will sin; but he willed the world, the present condition of things in which sin is possible; thus, the disorder that arises from sin is within his Providence.
The reign of sin means the reign of injustice. Whoever exists under the reign of sin is necessarily involved in a system where wrongdoing predominates and where each must suffer from the effects of that wrongdoing. In the real world, we must continually suffer from others; it is the condition of our being that we shall be the victims of others’ abuse of their free wills; it is our lot that our desires and inclinations should be continually thwarted and that we should be at the mercy of circumstances.
It is our duty to bear that, without resentment and without rebellion. To rebel is to assert that such things are not our due, that they are undeserved. It is refusing to recognize that we are fallen members of a fallen race. When we resent suffering that results from the actions of men or things, at that moment we resent God’s Providence.
We are, thus, really protesting against God’s eternal determination to create free beings; for these sufferings that we endure are a consequence of man’s free will. If we expect a mode of existence in which we shall not endure harshness, unkindness, misunderstanding, and injustice, we are really rebelling against God’s Providence; we are claiming a position that does not belong to us as creatures. This is to sin against humility. It is pride.
Even if we ourselves are never unjust, if we never hurt or injure others, if we never contribute to the existing disorder, we must not claim that we should be exempted from the consequences of the disorder of others. It would be claiming to be above, or beyond, or outside an order of things permitted by divine Providence; it would mean a refusal to abide in our rightful position as members of a fallen race. And, as we have seen, humility is nothing else than a practical determination to abide in this position.
Moreover, the claim to be exempted from the consequences of others’ sins is a refusal to learn from Jesus. St Paul directs us to contemplate Christ’s mode of acting; in Jesus, we will find the stimulus to reject our proud rebelliousness against our own weakness. “Consider Jesus,” he says, “who endured such opposition from sinners against himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:3). Even if we ourselves were free from guilt, we should, without resentment, after the manner of our Lord, suffer contradiction and injustice.
We will not resent anything that happens to us, if we consider our own sinfulness. Anyone who looks into his own heart will discover there, if not actual sin, at least such vile tendencies toward sin, out of pride, envy, jealousy, untruthfulness, and meanness, that he should not, in justice, demand any consideration from others.
But still we do. Our wickedness impels us to demand an exemption from the consequences of sin; as our sinfulness is great, our humility is small. We demand the most minute perfection from the others in their dealings with us, while we readily excuse and even justify our own shortcomings in our dealings with them. We are indulgent with our own faults; we are intolerant with those of others. We, as it were, claim the privilege of being the only sinners in the world, and demand that all the world should be just.
This preposterous claim is implied in our every deliberate act of resentment upon seeing that others are wrongdoers and their wrongdoing affect us adversely. This claim is aimed at a condition that is not ours, and, thus, is a failure in humility.
The more just we are, the more injustice we are likely to endure. Our efforts to reach sanctity do not exclude us from the operation of this law; quite the contrary. Our Lord’s life is the example of this assertion.
On the other hand, we should do our best to correct the injustice of the others and protect ourselves legitimately against it. We have the duty to establish the reign of justice in ourselves and in others. But it is wrong for us to cherish a spirit of sullen revolt against our condition as fallen creatures, and to demand for ourselves the conditions of an unfallen world as our due.#1
* Maintain always true humility of heart; it consists, not in demonstrations and artificial speech, but in a profound abasement of the soul. This humility is revealed through patience, which is its consequence and its most evident sign. I am not talking of being patient when others accuse you of crimes that no one would believe, but of remaining calm when you face insolent accusations, and of enduring offenses with meekness and serenity. (Cassian, Collationes, 18, 11)
* Patience is the way that leads to peace; study is the way to knowledge; humiliation is the only way to reach humility.
Our supernatural reaction to humiliation, should be an act of deep gratitude: “I thank you Lord, for you have humbled me.” Thus, that interior humiliation, that external failure, will leave our soul soaked in humility, and will give greater holiness to our life – and very probably an unsuspected effectiveness to our activity.
What, then, should our spiritual dispositions be toward these interior humiliations and these external failures that threaten the peace and tranquillity of our interior life?
Our first reaction to all this must be one of humility; accepting the humiliation or the failure with true humility, with what is called humility of heart, because there it has its roots, and it is from the heart that it gets all its strength. And not just accepting the humiliation, but loving it –loving our own wretchedness and thanking our Lord for letting us really know ourselves. As a consequence, we will avoid anything that is or might be a kind of interior rebellion against these humiliations or failures.
We should also avoid any kind of self-justifications or offering excuses. If we are not truly humble, we will find lots of ways to justify ourselves, to feed our pride. Our high idea of ourselves will produce excuses with no difficulty; that is the sure way of nipping in the bud all the humility and effectiveness that God was reserving for our soul.
Don’t make excuses for yourself! Don’t justify yourself to your soul when it is alone and humbled! Drown in humility that proud reasoning; it will only close up a wound which is healing badly. Have the courage to repel the counter-attack of pride which is trying to recover the ground your self-love has lost. Turn your back on the insidious caress of pride. Be convinced that this is the time to turn to God. Be happy to be misunderstood and to be despised. (S. Canals, Jesus as Friend)
* Are you ready to undergo those humiliations which God asks of you, in matters of no importance, matters where the truth is not obscured?
You are not? Then you don’t love the virtue of humility. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 595)
* Many may not find it too burdensome to despise food and drink, and a soft bed; however, not many, but only a few, suffer patiently an offense, endure an abuse, or tolerate an insult. (St John Chrysostom, Hom. 3 on Priesthood)
* How clearly I see now that “holy shamelessness” is rooted very deeply in the Gospel. Fulfill the Will of God..., think of Jesus falsely accused, of Jesus spat upon and buffeted, of Jesus brought before the shabby courts of men..., and of Jesus silent!
A resolution: to bow our head when insulted, and persevere in the divine task that the merciful Love of Our Lord has entrusted to us, even though you know that humiliations will inevitably follow. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 35)
* You, who for an earthly love have endured so many degradations, do you really believe that you love Christ, when you are not willing to suffer–for him!–that humiliation? (J. Escrivá, The Way, 165)
* When you hear the plaudits of triumph, let there also sound in your ears the laughter you provoked with your failures. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 589)
* You’re not humble when you humble yourself, but when you are humbled by others and you bear it for Christ. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 594)
* So you’ve been hauled over the coals? Don’t follow the advice of pride and lose your temper. Think: How charitable they are toward me! The things they’ve left unsaid! (J. Escrivá, The Way, 698)
* Serving and forming children, caring lovingly for the sick.
To make ourselves understood by simple souls, we have to humble our intellect; to understand poor sick people, we have to humble our heart. In this way, on our knees in both body and mind, it is easy to reach Jesus, along that tried and true way of human misery, of our own misery. It will lead us to self-denial, to let God build on our nothingness. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 600)
* Listen to me, my child, you must be happy when you are ill treated and dishonored; when many come out against you and it becomes fashionable to spit on you, because you are omnium peripsema, like the refuse of the world.
It’s hard, it’s very hard. It is hard, until at last one goes to the Tabernacle, seeing oneself thought of as the scum of the earth, like a wretched worm, and says with all one’s heart: “Lord, if you don’t need my good name, what do I want it for?”
Until one does so, until he gets to that point of nakedness and self-surrender, even a child of God does not know what happiness is. It is a self-surrender of love, but it is founded on mortification, on sorrow. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 803)
* Tell him: “Jesus, I cannot see even a single perfect flower in my garden, all are blighted; it seems that all have lost their color and aroma. Poor me! My face in the muck, on the ground: that’s my place.”
When you humble yourself this way, he will triumph in you, and you will attain victory. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 606)
* If you really knew yourself, you would rejoice at being despised, and your heart would weep in the face of honors and praise. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 595)
Weaknesses and Discouragement
We begin to be humble by not being upset by our failures. The awareness of our weaknesses must lead us to keep on fighting; there should be sorrow. but not discouragement; that would suggest a confidence in ourselves that is not linked to confidence in God.
Besides, Christ’s sacrifice was perfect and overflowing; he tells us: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9). Persecutions, inner trials, old habits, and a bad temperament can be overcome with God’s grace. The humble man knows that no matter how difficult the struggle, there is no reason for discouragement. God has not left us alone; he will not delay in coming to our aid; we should put our trust in his promises.
There is a cure for everything in our interior life, as long as there is humility. The only fatal mistake is to resign oneself to defeat and not to know how to fight with a sporting spirit.
* After denying our Lord, Peter heard the noise of the guards and servants who were transferring our Lord from one room to another. Our Lord looked upon Peter, and that look was so loving and effective, that the disciple understood immediately all that his Master wanted to say. Peter entered into himself and remembered our Lord’s words which in his pride he did not then believe: “Before the cock crows twice you will have denied me three times” (Mk 15:72).
Peter’s soul was pierced with sorrow and filled with contrition; yet he did not attempt to make a public retractation, but went to weep in secret.
His fall had left him more humble and less confident in his own strength; he did not want to expose himself to further risk or show further proof of his weakness.
St Peter taught the weak to flee from occasions of sin, and to avoid exposing themselves to danger until they are fortified and clothed with strength from God. Full of shame and humility, he allowed his prayers and tears to plead for him and obtain pardon. He prayed and was silent, but he did not excuse his fault. He went out because the tumult of the palace was not suitable for penance. And to whom should he go for consolation but to the Blessed Virgin, the only refuge of sinners, to tell her all about his sorrow, and his bitter grief? And then, encouraged by her most sweet words, he wept with the firm hope of obtaining pardon. (L. de la Palma, History of the Sacred Passion, 13)
* We must really be in place with ourselves. I will just recommend one virtue so dear to the Lord. He said, “Learn from me who am meek and humble of heart.”
I run the risk of making a blunder, but I will say it: the Lord loves humility so much that, sometimes, He permits serious sins. Why? In order that those who committed these sins may, after repenting, remain humble. One does not feel inclined to think oneself half a saint, half an angel, when one knows that one has committed serious faults.
The Lord recommended it so much: be humble. Even if you have done great things, say: “We are useless servants.” On the contrary, the tendency in all of us is rather the opposite: to show off. Lowly, lowly: this is the Christian virtue of humility that concerns ourselves. (John Paul I, General Audience, September 6, 1978)
* Well, so what? Unless your motive is hidden pride (you think you’re perfect), I don’t understand how you can give up that work for souls just because the fire of God that first attracted you, besides giving the light and warmth that aroused your enthusiasm, should also at times produce the smoke that results from the weakness of the instrument! (J. Escrivá, The Way, 485)
* Do not become alarmed or discouraged upon discovering that you have miseries–and such miseries!
Struggle to uproot them. And as you do so, be convinced that it is even a good thing to be aware of all those weaknesses, for otherwise you would be proud. And pride separates us from God. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 181)
* Beware also, daughters, of certain kinds of humility which the devil inculcates in us and which make us very uneasy about the gravity of our past sins. There are many ways in which he depresses us; sometimes he discourages us from going to Communion or doing mental prayer by suggesting to us that we are not worthy to engage in these.
Pay great attention to this point; thinking yourselves so wicked may be humility and virtue...or a very great temptation. I have had experience of this, so I know it is true. Humility, however deep it may be, neither disquiets nor troubles nor disturbs the soul; it is accompanied by peace, joy, and tranquillity. Although, on realizing how wicked we are, we can see clearly that we deserve to be in hell, and are distressed by our sinfulness, and rightly think that everyone should hate us, yet, if our humility is true, this distress is accompanied by an interior peace and joy of which we should not like to be deprived. Far from disturbing or depressing the soul, it enlarges it and makes it fit to serve God better.
The other kind of distress–false humility–only disturbs and upsets the mind, and troubles the soul, so grievous is it.... When you find yourselves in this state, cease thinking of your own wretchedness, and think of the mercy of God, of his love, and his sufferings for us. (St Teresa of Avila, The Way of Perfection, 39)
* Humility teaches each soul not to lose heart in the face of its own blunders.
True humility leads us to ask for forgiveness. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 189)
* Do not be disheartened when you become aware of your mistakes. React against them.
Fruitlessness is a consequence not so much of one’s faults (especially if one repents) as of one’s pride. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 723)
* If you have fallen, get up with greater hope. Only self‑love alone is incapable of understanding that an error, when put right, helps us to know and to humble ourselves. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 724)
* While the battle is raging, a soldier may receive a wound and fall back briefly. Yet, no one is so ignorant about warfare who thinks that this is a big crime.
Only those who so not fight, do not receive wounds; those who advance toward the enemy more courageously receive more blows. (St John Chrysostom, Exort. 2 to Theodore, 5)
* There is a mythological tale about the giant Antaeus, son of the goddess Earth. Each time that he was thrown down to earth while wrestling with Hercules, Antaeus drew new strength from his mother, and so he could not be overcome. Hercules, taking account of the fact, lifted the giant up, and, keeping him aloft, cut off his head.
The devil tries likewise to lift us up with praises and honors, to make us heady with pride and crash with greater force. The humble man casts himself on the earth of his self-knowledge, does not seek the esteem of the world, and finds fresh strength for the struggle. (A. Rodriguez, Practice of Perfection)
* We should receive the Communion of the Lord, even though we know we are poor sinners. This is an added reason for us to go to Communion more eagerly: to find in it sanctity for our soul and purity for our spirit. We should nevertheless go to it with thoughts of humility and faith, judging ourselves unworthy of such grace, and seeking nothing but the remedy for our wounds.
If we wait to be worthy of it, we will not take Communion even once a year. (Cassian, Collationes, 23, 21).
* Why is it that some people are preserved from grave temptation, yet fight a losing battle all the time against their petty, day-to-day faults? Surely it is to keep them humble; with such proof of their frailty in things of little moment, they are not likely to err through self-confidence where great issues are at stake. (Imitation of Christ, 1, 13, 8).
* You are ashamed before God, and before the others. You have discovered filth within yourself, both old and recurrent; there is no evil instinct or tendency that you do not feel under your skin. And you also carry a cloud of uncertainty in your heart. Furthermore, temptation arises when you least want it or expect it, when your will is weakened by tiredness.
You no longer know if it really humiliates you, although it hurts you to see yourself like this. Let it hurt you because of Him, and for Love of Him; this contrition of love will help you to remain vigilant, for the fight will last as long as we live. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 174)
* The saints are those who struggle right to the end of their lives; they always get up each time they stumble, each time they fall, and courageously continue on their way once more with humility, love, and hope. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 186)
* “Immaculate Virgin, I know very well that I am only a miserable wretch; each day, I keep on increasing the number of my sins....” You told me that you spoke thus to our Mother the other day.
And I advised you, with assurance, to pray the Holy Rosary. Blessed be that monotony of Hail Marys that purifies the monotony of your sins! (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 475)
* You say you are unworthy? Well, try to become worthy. And leave it at that. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 564)
* You remind me of Pilate: Quod scripsi, scripsi!–what I have written shall not be changed–after he had allowed the most horrible of crimes. You may be immovable, but you should have adopted that attitude before, not afterwards! (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 604)
* Only the weak and the patient can join God’s combats. (Cassian, Collationes, 7, 5)
* Jesus, my Love, to think that I could offend you again! Tuus ego sum ... salvum me fac!–I am yours, save me. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 196)
* Virgin Immaculate, my Mother, do not abandon me. See how my poor heart is filled with tears. I do not want to offend my God.
I already know, and I believe I shall never forget, that I am worth nothing. How my smallness and my loneliness weigh upon me! But ... I am not alone. You, sweet Lady, and my Father God will never leave me.
Faced with the rebellion of my flesh and all manner of diabolical arguments against my Faith, I love Jesus and I believe–I do Love and do Believe. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 215)
* Sanctity consists in struggling, in knowing that we have defects, and in heroically trying to overcome them.
Sanctity, I insist, consists in overcoming those defects–although we will still have defects when we die; if we think we will not die with defects–as I have told you–we will be proud. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 312)
* Say slowly and in all earnestness: Nunc coepi–now I begin!
Don’t get discouraged if, unfortunately, you don’t see any great change in yourself brought about by the Lord’s right hand. From your lowliness you can cry out: “Help me, my Jesus, because I want to fulfill your Will–your most lovable Will.” (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 398)
* It seems an excellent idea to me that you should tell the Lord often about your great and ardent desire to be a saint, even though you see yourself filled with wretchedness....
Tell him so, precisely for that reason! (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 419)
* Yes, you’re right; how deep your wretchedness is! Left alone, where would you be now? How low would you have sunk?
You admitted: “Only a Love that is full of mercy could still love me.”
Cheer up. He will not deny you his Love or his Mercy, if you seek Him. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 897)
* When you feel self‑love–pride!–boiling within you, making you believe you are a superman, it is time to cry out: No! Thus, you will savor the cheerfulness of the good son of God who goes through life with errors, but doing good. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 1054)
* Live by Love and you will conquer always–even when you are defeated–in the Navas#2 and the Lepantos#3 of your interior life. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 433)
* Don’t feel hurt when others see your faults. What should really distress you is the offense against God and the scandal you may give.
Apart from that, may you be known for what you are and be despised. Don’t be sorry if you are nothing, because then Jesus will have to put everything into you. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 596)
* Another fall ... and what a fall! Despair? No! Humble yourself and through Mary, your Mother, have recourse to the merciful love of Jesus. A miserere–”have mercy on me”–and lift up your heart! And now, begin again. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 711)
* How low you have fallen this time! Begin the foundations from down there. Be humble. “Cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies”–”a contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not despise.” (J. Escrivá, The Way, 712)
* If your mistakes make you more humble, if they make you reach out more urgently for God’s helping hand, then they are a road to sanctity. Felix culpa–O happy fault!, the Church sings. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 187)
* Humility rescues a man from the abyss of his sins. (St John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea, 6, p. 303)
* We have to foster in our souls a true horror for sin. “Lord,” say it with a contrite heart, “may I never offend you again!”
But don’t be frightened when you notice the heavy ballast of your poor body and of human passions; it would be silly and childishly naive to find out now that “this” exists. Your wretchedness is not an obstacle, but a spur for you to become more united to God, and seek him constantly, because he purifies us. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 134)
* “I am still a poor creature,” you tell me.
Before, when you realized it, you felt very bad about it! Now, without getting used to it, or giving in to it, you are making a habit of smiling, and of beginning your fight again with growing joy. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 271)
FOOTNOTES:
1. Cf. E. Leen, In the Likeness of Christ, 2,2.
2. Las Navas de Tolosa: A famous battle that occurred in 1212 in southern Spain, won by the armies of the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula over the Moslems of Andalusia and northern Africa.
3. Lepanto: A naval battle that took place in the Mediterranean Sea in 1571 between a Turkish and a Christian squadron. It was won by the Christian fleet.
Sometimes God gives us a glimpse of our lack of personal worth; this should not discourage us; to see one’s defects is a grace from the Lord.
We should not allow self-pity to take hold of our soul. In order to serve, we need to be humble and learn to suffer cheerfully, without complain. Without the cross, there is no true growth in humility.
When we are humble, our interior life is no longer a lonely fight against our defects, or an exercise in “perfecting oneself,” but rather the abandonment of oneself in the hands of God, whose children we truly are.
Reputed as Nothing
* We are by nature what our Lord was by choice, namely, children of a fallen race, in a fallen world, and subject to the consequences of the fall.
All men are plunged in error–and the best among them are those who are forcing their way slowly and painfully out of the darkness into the light of truth. Where there is error, there are mistakes, suffering, conflict, and want of harmony. We are sinners: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8).
God does not will sin; but he willed the world, the present condition of things in which sin is possible; thus, the disorder that arises from sin is within his Providence.
The reign of sin means the reign of injustice. Whoever exists under the reign of sin is necessarily involved in a system where wrongdoing predominates and where each must suffer from the effects of that wrongdoing. In the real world, we must continually suffer from others; it is the condition of our being that we shall be the victims of others’ abuse of their free wills; it is our lot that our desires and inclinations should be continually thwarted and that we should be at the mercy of circumstances.
It is our duty to bear that, without resentment and without rebellion. To rebel is to assert that such things are not our due, that they are undeserved. It is refusing to recognize that we are fallen members of a fallen race. When we resent suffering that results from the actions of men or things, at that moment we resent God’s Providence.
We are, thus, really protesting against God’s eternal determination to create free beings; for these sufferings that we endure are a consequence of man’s free will. If we expect a mode of existence in which we shall not endure harshness, unkindness, misunderstanding, and injustice, we are really rebelling against God’s Providence; we are claiming a position that does not belong to us as creatures. This is to sin against humility. It is pride.
Even if we ourselves are never unjust, if we never hurt or injure others, if we never contribute to the existing disorder, we must not claim that we should be exempted from the consequences of the disorder of others. It would be claiming to be above, or beyond, or outside an order of things permitted by divine Providence; it would mean a refusal to abide in our rightful position as members of a fallen race. And, as we have seen, humility is nothing else than a practical determination to abide in this position.
Moreover, the claim to be exempted from the consequences of others’ sins is a refusal to learn from Jesus. St Paul directs us to contemplate Christ’s mode of acting; in Jesus, we will find the stimulus to reject our proud rebelliousness against our own weakness. “Consider Jesus,” he says, “who endured such opposition from sinners against himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:3). Even if we ourselves were free from guilt, we should, without resentment, after the manner of our Lord, suffer contradiction and injustice.
We will not resent anything that happens to us, if we consider our own sinfulness. Anyone who looks into his own heart will discover there, if not actual sin, at least such vile tendencies toward sin, out of pride, envy, jealousy, untruthfulness, and meanness, that he should not, in justice, demand any consideration from others.
But still we do. Our wickedness impels us to demand an exemption from the consequences of sin; as our sinfulness is great, our humility is small. We demand the most minute perfection from the others in their dealings with us, while we readily excuse and even justify our own shortcomings in our dealings with them. We are indulgent with our own faults; we are intolerant with those of others. We, as it were, claim the privilege of being the only sinners in the world, and demand that all the world should be just.
This preposterous claim is implied in our every deliberate act of resentment upon seeing that others are wrongdoers and their wrongdoing affect us adversely. This claim is aimed at a condition that is not ours, and, thus, is a failure in humility.
The more just we are, the more injustice we are likely to endure. Our efforts to reach sanctity do not exclude us from the operation of this law; quite the contrary. Our Lord’s life is the example of this assertion.
On the other hand, we should do our best to correct the injustice of the others and protect ourselves legitimately against it. We have the duty to establish the reign of justice in ourselves and in others. But it is wrong for us to cherish a spirit of sullen revolt against our condition as fallen creatures, and to demand for ourselves the conditions of an unfallen world as our due.#1
* Maintain always true humility of heart; it consists, not in demonstrations and artificial speech, but in a profound abasement of the soul. This humility is revealed through patience, which is its consequence and its most evident sign. I am not talking of being patient when others accuse you of crimes that no one would believe, but of remaining calm when you face insolent accusations, and of enduring offenses with meekness and serenity. (Cassian, Collationes, 18, 11)
* Patience is the way that leads to peace; study is the way to knowledge; humiliation is the only way to reach humility.
Our supernatural reaction to humiliation, should be an act of deep gratitude: “I thank you Lord, for you have humbled me.” Thus, that interior humiliation, that external failure, will leave our soul soaked in humility, and will give greater holiness to our life – and very probably an unsuspected effectiveness to our activity.
What, then, should our spiritual dispositions be toward these interior humiliations and these external failures that threaten the peace and tranquillity of our interior life?
Our first reaction to all this must be one of humility; accepting the humiliation or the failure with true humility, with what is called humility of heart, because there it has its roots, and it is from the heart that it gets all its strength. And not just accepting the humiliation, but loving it –loving our own wretchedness and thanking our Lord for letting us really know ourselves. As a consequence, we will avoid anything that is or might be a kind of interior rebellion against these humiliations or failures.
We should also avoid any kind of self-justifications or offering excuses. If we are not truly humble, we will find lots of ways to justify ourselves, to feed our pride. Our high idea of ourselves will produce excuses with no difficulty; that is the sure way of nipping in the bud all the humility and effectiveness that God was reserving for our soul.
Don’t make excuses for yourself! Don’t justify yourself to your soul when it is alone and humbled! Drown in humility that proud reasoning; it will only close up a wound which is healing badly. Have the courage to repel the counter-attack of pride which is trying to recover the ground your self-love has lost. Turn your back on the insidious caress of pride. Be convinced that this is the time to turn to God. Be happy to be misunderstood and to be despised. (S. Canals, Jesus as Friend)
* Are you ready to undergo those humiliations which God asks of you, in matters of no importance, matters where the truth is not obscured?
You are not? Then you don’t love the virtue of humility. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 595)
* Many may not find it too burdensome to despise food and drink, and a soft bed; however, not many, but only a few, suffer patiently an offense, endure an abuse, or tolerate an insult. (St John Chrysostom, Hom. 3 on Priesthood)
* How clearly I see now that “holy shamelessness” is rooted very deeply in the Gospel. Fulfill the Will of God..., think of Jesus falsely accused, of Jesus spat upon and buffeted, of Jesus brought before the shabby courts of men..., and of Jesus silent!
A resolution: to bow our head when insulted, and persevere in the divine task that the merciful Love of Our Lord has entrusted to us, even though you know that humiliations will inevitably follow. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 35)
* You, who for an earthly love have endured so many degradations, do you really believe that you love Christ, when you are not willing to suffer–for him!–that humiliation? (J. Escrivá, The Way, 165)
* When you hear the plaudits of triumph, let there also sound in your ears the laughter you provoked with your failures. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 589)
* You’re not humble when you humble yourself, but when you are humbled by others and you bear it for Christ. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 594)
* So you’ve been hauled over the coals? Don’t follow the advice of pride and lose your temper. Think: How charitable they are toward me! The things they’ve left unsaid! (J. Escrivá, The Way, 698)
* Serving and forming children, caring lovingly for the sick.
To make ourselves understood by simple souls, we have to humble our intellect; to understand poor sick people, we have to humble our heart. In this way, on our knees in both body and mind, it is easy to reach Jesus, along that tried and true way of human misery, of our own misery. It will lead us to self-denial, to let God build on our nothingness. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 600)
* Listen to me, my child, you must be happy when you are ill treated and dishonored; when many come out against you and it becomes fashionable to spit on you, because you are omnium peripsema, like the refuse of the world.
It’s hard, it’s very hard. It is hard, until at last one goes to the Tabernacle, seeing oneself thought of as the scum of the earth, like a wretched worm, and says with all one’s heart: “Lord, if you don’t need my good name, what do I want it for?”
Until one does so, until he gets to that point of nakedness and self-surrender, even a child of God does not know what happiness is. It is a self-surrender of love, but it is founded on mortification, on sorrow. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 803)
* Tell him: “Jesus, I cannot see even a single perfect flower in my garden, all are blighted; it seems that all have lost their color and aroma. Poor me! My face in the muck, on the ground: that’s my place.”
When you humble yourself this way, he will triumph in you, and you will attain victory. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 606)
* If you really knew yourself, you would rejoice at being despised, and your heart would weep in the face of honors and praise. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 595)
Weaknesses and Discouragement
We begin to be humble by not being upset by our failures. The awareness of our weaknesses must lead us to keep on fighting; there should be sorrow. but not discouragement; that would suggest a confidence in ourselves that is not linked to confidence in God.
Besides, Christ’s sacrifice was perfect and overflowing; he tells us: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9). Persecutions, inner trials, old habits, and a bad temperament can be overcome with God’s grace. The humble man knows that no matter how difficult the struggle, there is no reason for discouragement. God has not left us alone; he will not delay in coming to our aid; we should put our trust in his promises.
There is a cure for everything in our interior life, as long as there is humility. The only fatal mistake is to resign oneself to defeat and not to know how to fight with a sporting spirit.
* After denying our Lord, Peter heard the noise of the guards and servants who were transferring our Lord from one room to another. Our Lord looked upon Peter, and that look was so loving and effective, that the disciple understood immediately all that his Master wanted to say. Peter entered into himself and remembered our Lord’s words which in his pride he did not then believe: “Before the cock crows twice you will have denied me three times” (Mk 15:72).
Peter’s soul was pierced with sorrow and filled with contrition; yet he did not attempt to make a public retractation, but went to weep in secret.
His fall had left him more humble and less confident in his own strength; he did not want to expose himself to further risk or show further proof of his weakness.
St Peter taught the weak to flee from occasions of sin, and to avoid exposing themselves to danger until they are fortified and clothed with strength from God. Full of shame and humility, he allowed his prayers and tears to plead for him and obtain pardon. He prayed and was silent, but he did not excuse his fault. He went out because the tumult of the palace was not suitable for penance. And to whom should he go for consolation but to the Blessed Virgin, the only refuge of sinners, to tell her all about his sorrow, and his bitter grief? And then, encouraged by her most sweet words, he wept with the firm hope of obtaining pardon. (L. de la Palma, History of the Sacred Passion, 13)
* We must really be in place with ourselves. I will just recommend one virtue so dear to the Lord. He said, “Learn from me who am meek and humble of heart.”
I run the risk of making a blunder, but I will say it: the Lord loves humility so much that, sometimes, He permits serious sins. Why? In order that those who committed these sins may, after repenting, remain humble. One does not feel inclined to think oneself half a saint, half an angel, when one knows that one has committed serious faults.
The Lord recommended it so much: be humble. Even if you have done great things, say: “We are useless servants.” On the contrary, the tendency in all of us is rather the opposite: to show off. Lowly, lowly: this is the Christian virtue of humility that concerns ourselves. (John Paul I, General Audience, September 6, 1978)
* Well, so what? Unless your motive is hidden pride (you think you’re perfect), I don’t understand how you can give up that work for souls just because the fire of God that first attracted you, besides giving the light and warmth that aroused your enthusiasm, should also at times produce the smoke that results from the weakness of the instrument! (J. Escrivá, The Way, 485)
* Do not become alarmed or discouraged upon discovering that you have miseries–and such miseries!
Struggle to uproot them. And as you do so, be convinced that it is even a good thing to be aware of all those weaknesses, for otherwise you would be proud. And pride separates us from God. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 181)
* Beware also, daughters, of certain kinds of humility which the devil inculcates in us and which make us very uneasy about the gravity of our past sins. There are many ways in which he depresses us; sometimes he discourages us from going to Communion or doing mental prayer by suggesting to us that we are not worthy to engage in these.
Pay great attention to this point; thinking yourselves so wicked may be humility and virtue...or a very great temptation. I have had experience of this, so I know it is true. Humility, however deep it may be, neither disquiets nor troubles nor disturbs the soul; it is accompanied by peace, joy, and tranquillity. Although, on realizing how wicked we are, we can see clearly that we deserve to be in hell, and are distressed by our sinfulness, and rightly think that everyone should hate us, yet, if our humility is true, this distress is accompanied by an interior peace and joy of which we should not like to be deprived. Far from disturbing or depressing the soul, it enlarges it and makes it fit to serve God better.
The other kind of distress–false humility–only disturbs and upsets the mind, and troubles the soul, so grievous is it.... When you find yourselves in this state, cease thinking of your own wretchedness, and think of the mercy of God, of his love, and his sufferings for us. (St Teresa of Avila, The Way of Perfection, 39)
* Humility teaches each soul not to lose heart in the face of its own blunders.
True humility leads us to ask for forgiveness. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 189)
* Do not be disheartened when you become aware of your mistakes. React against them.
Fruitlessness is a consequence not so much of one’s faults (especially if one repents) as of one’s pride. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 723)
* If you have fallen, get up with greater hope. Only self‑love alone is incapable of understanding that an error, when put right, helps us to know and to humble ourselves. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 724)
* While the battle is raging, a soldier may receive a wound and fall back briefly. Yet, no one is so ignorant about warfare who thinks that this is a big crime.
Only those who so not fight, do not receive wounds; those who advance toward the enemy more courageously receive more blows. (St John Chrysostom, Exort. 2 to Theodore, 5)
* There is a mythological tale about the giant Antaeus, son of the goddess Earth. Each time that he was thrown down to earth while wrestling with Hercules, Antaeus drew new strength from his mother, and so he could not be overcome. Hercules, taking account of the fact, lifted the giant up, and, keeping him aloft, cut off his head.
The devil tries likewise to lift us up with praises and honors, to make us heady with pride and crash with greater force. The humble man casts himself on the earth of his self-knowledge, does not seek the esteem of the world, and finds fresh strength for the struggle. (A. Rodriguez, Practice of Perfection)
* We should receive the Communion of the Lord, even though we know we are poor sinners. This is an added reason for us to go to Communion more eagerly: to find in it sanctity for our soul and purity for our spirit. We should nevertheless go to it with thoughts of humility and faith, judging ourselves unworthy of such grace, and seeking nothing but the remedy for our wounds.
If we wait to be worthy of it, we will not take Communion even once a year. (Cassian, Collationes, 23, 21).
* Why is it that some people are preserved from grave temptation, yet fight a losing battle all the time against their petty, day-to-day faults? Surely it is to keep them humble; with such proof of their frailty in things of little moment, they are not likely to err through self-confidence where great issues are at stake. (Imitation of Christ, 1, 13, 8).
* You are ashamed before God, and before the others. You have discovered filth within yourself, both old and recurrent; there is no evil instinct or tendency that you do not feel under your skin. And you also carry a cloud of uncertainty in your heart. Furthermore, temptation arises when you least want it or expect it, when your will is weakened by tiredness.
You no longer know if it really humiliates you, although it hurts you to see yourself like this. Let it hurt you because of Him, and for Love of Him; this contrition of love will help you to remain vigilant, for the fight will last as long as we live. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 174)
* The saints are those who struggle right to the end of their lives; they always get up each time they stumble, each time they fall, and courageously continue on their way once more with humility, love, and hope. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 186)
* “Immaculate Virgin, I know very well that I am only a miserable wretch; each day, I keep on increasing the number of my sins....” You told me that you spoke thus to our Mother the other day.
And I advised you, with assurance, to pray the Holy Rosary. Blessed be that monotony of Hail Marys that purifies the monotony of your sins! (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 475)
* You say you are unworthy? Well, try to become worthy. And leave it at that. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 564)
* You remind me of Pilate: Quod scripsi, scripsi!–what I have written shall not be changed–after he had allowed the most horrible of crimes. You may be immovable, but you should have adopted that attitude before, not afterwards! (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 604)
* Only the weak and the patient can join God’s combats. (Cassian, Collationes, 7, 5)
* Jesus, my Love, to think that I could offend you again! Tuus ego sum ... salvum me fac!–I am yours, save me. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 196)
* Virgin Immaculate, my Mother, do not abandon me. See how my poor heart is filled with tears. I do not want to offend my God.
I already know, and I believe I shall never forget, that I am worth nothing. How my smallness and my loneliness weigh upon me! But ... I am not alone. You, sweet Lady, and my Father God will never leave me.
Faced with the rebellion of my flesh and all manner of diabolical arguments against my Faith, I love Jesus and I believe–I do Love and do Believe. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 215)
* Sanctity consists in struggling, in knowing that we have defects, and in heroically trying to overcome them.
Sanctity, I insist, consists in overcoming those defects–although we will still have defects when we die; if we think we will not die with defects–as I have told you–we will be proud. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 312)
* Say slowly and in all earnestness: Nunc coepi–now I begin!
Don’t get discouraged if, unfortunately, you don’t see any great change in yourself brought about by the Lord’s right hand. From your lowliness you can cry out: “Help me, my Jesus, because I want to fulfill your Will–your most lovable Will.” (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 398)
* It seems an excellent idea to me that you should tell the Lord often about your great and ardent desire to be a saint, even though you see yourself filled with wretchedness....
Tell him so, precisely for that reason! (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 419)
* Yes, you’re right; how deep your wretchedness is! Left alone, where would you be now? How low would you have sunk?
You admitted: “Only a Love that is full of mercy could still love me.”
Cheer up. He will not deny you his Love or his Mercy, if you seek Him. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 897)
* When you feel self‑love–pride!–boiling within you, making you believe you are a superman, it is time to cry out: No! Thus, you will savor the cheerfulness of the good son of God who goes through life with errors, but doing good. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 1054)
* Live by Love and you will conquer always–even when you are defeated–in the Navas#2 and the Lepantos#3 of your interior life. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 433)
* Don’t feel hurt when others see your faults. What should really distress you is the offense against God and the scandal you may give.
Apart from that, may you be known for what you are and be despised. Don’t be sorry if you are nothing, because then Jesus will have to put everything into you. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 596)
* Another fall ... and what a fall! Despair? No! Humble yourself and through Mary, your Mother, have recourse to the merciful love of Jesus. A miserere–”have mercy on me”–and lift up your heart! And now, begin again. (J. Escrivá, The Way, 711)
* How low you have fallen this time! Begin the foundations from down there. Be humble. “Cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies”–”a contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not despise.” (J. Escrivá, The Way, 712)
* If your mistakes make you more humble, if they make you reach out more urgently for God’s helping hand, then they are a road to sanctity. Felix culpa–O happy fault!, the Church sings. (J. Escrivá, The Forge, 187)
* Humility rescues a man from the abyss of his sins. (St John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea, 6, p. 303)
* We have to foster in our souls a true horror for sin. “Lord,” say it with a contrite heart, “may I never offend you again!”
But don’t be frightened when you notice the heavy ballast of your poor body and of human passions; it would be silly and childishly naive to find out now that “this” exists. Your wretchedness is not an obstacle, but a spur for you to become more united to God, and seek him constantly, because he purifies us. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 134)
* “I am still a poor creature,” you tell me.
Before, when you realized it, you felt very bad about it! Now, without getting used to it, or giving in to it, you are making a habit of smiling, and of beginning your fight again with growing joy. (J. Escrivá, Furrow, 271)
FOOTNOTES:
1. Cf. E. Leen, In the Likeness of Christ, 2,2.
2. Las Navas de Tolosa: A famous battle that occurred in 1212 in southern Spain, won by the armies of the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula over the Moslems of Andalusia and northern Africa.
3. Lepanto: A naval battle that took place in the Mediterranean Sea in 1571 between a Turkish and a Christian squadron. It was won by the Christian fleet.