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CHARACTERISTIC VIRTUES—HUMILITY
WORDS OF ST. VINCENT
MY dear Sisters, humility is a virtue particularly necessary for
you. Yes, my Sisters, keep yourselves in great humility; let each
one esteem herself as the last of all. Remember, that you are the
servants of the poor, your masters; serve them always with great
meekness and humility. Give me a Sister who practices humility,
esteems herself a mere nothing, wishes to be despised by her
Superiors, and by all; who never thinks she does anything well, but,
that she spoils everything, and that all she does is full of
imperfections; give me such a Sister, and I will pronounce her a
true Sister of Charity. But, if you were to point out one to me,
that does not practice humility, but seeks to be more highly
esteemed than others, to be thought possessed of good parts, and
acknowledged as such by the Company; who aspires to offices of
distinction, to be a Sister Superior, at least, O my Saviour, I will
pronounce such a one, not a Daughter of Charity, but a real root of
pride, even like that of the wicked spirit who sought to elevate
himself above all. In proportion as a sincere humility will ensure
the perseverance of a Sister in her vocation, the want of it would
render her perseverance impossible. Why so? Because the spirit of
pride, which makes her desire to be esteemed, will soon render her
quite certain that she does not possess the favor of her Superiors,
that the Officers testify no affection for her, and that her
companions despise her. Consequently, she will yield to sadness,
melancholy, and even disgust for her vocation, which she will
abandon, sooner or later.
NOTES
Humility puts us in our proper place. It makes us recognize what we
are in reality and before God. It is well known that every good
thing we possess we have by the gift of God. Humility keeps us in
mind of this fact.
It is a common mistake to think oneself humble when one talks
disparagingly of oneself. That is not real humility at all in many
cases, but what has been expressively called Humility with a hook.
Its sole purpose is to attract praise and esteem.
Humility is a fundamental virtue for all people, but most of all
for Religious. Without it there is no solid goodness. Its importance
is all the greater that its opposite is nearly always the
Predominant Passion. Study, therefore, how pride shows itself in you
and then set yourself to work to destroy it piecemeal.
In some, pride shows itself in vanity. This may be about many
different matters— birth, education, ability, accomplishments,
personal appearance, dress, wealth, achievements, thoughts,
talents—even deeds of piety—and even sins committed. Some are too
proud to be vain. These often suffer from over weening selfesteem;
they think too much of themselves, prize themselves, their
achievements, their abilities, and despise others as inferior, or
less good, or less able.
Most proud people are sensitive to slights, or have a tendency to
criticise, or are independent of restraint and of authority, or are
jealous, or envious, or uncharitable (out of a desire to put others
down in order to raise themselves to notice or esteem). In others
pride results in human respect (lest others should think less of
them than they would like).
In some, pride is external and shows itself in boasting; in
unwillingness to yield when worsted in argument, or takes the form
of singularity (to draw attention), or of the habit of
contradiction, or of persistence in opinion when wrong. A little
thought must make it clear that this vice is the root of nearly all
sins and faults, and that it is exceedingly necessary to control it.
CHARACTERISTIC VIRTUES
Do not be satisfied with merely not yielding to pride: the best way
to fight it is by positively practicing humility. Humble yourself.
Through humiliations, says St. Ignatius, we acquire humility;
through humility come all the other virtues.
If you wish to reach the acme of humility, practice the Third
Degree. No virtue can be more pleasing to Our Lord, because it is
the most direct imitation of Him.
THREE DEGREES OF HUMILITY
Spiritual Exercises
The first is so to humble yourself that not to become mistress of
the whole world, nor to save your very life, would you enter
into deliberation about breaking a Commandment that binds you under
mortal sin.
This degree is necessary for salvation.
The second is more
perfect humility. It consists in not desiring, nor being affected to
having, rather riches than poverty, honor than dishonor, a long life
than a short life—when the service of God and the salvation of your
soul could be equally obtained by either. And so, not for all the
world, nor to save your life, would you be in deliberation about
committing a venial sin.
This degree is not necessary for salvation, but would render you
vastly more secure, for it would keep you nearly free from venial
sin.
The third degree is the most perfect humility. The first and the
second are essentially included in it; and without them, aiming at
the third degree would be an illusion. They, therefore, being
supposed, the third adds this besides, that, when you can procure
equal praise and glory to the Divine Majesty by either, you would
wish and choose rather poverty with Christ poor than riches, rather
reproaches with Christ covered with them than honors, rather to be
thought worthless and a fool for Christ, Who first was held for
such, than for wise or prudent in this world. And all this to
imitate and be actually more like Christ Our Lord.
These three degrees of humility are dispositions of the soul.
One's actions may not always agree with them, even when one has
them, and, on the contrary, although one may not yet have reached
any one of these degrees, one may practice the acts corresponding to
it, as a means to acquire it.
INSTANCES OF THE THIRD DEGREE
1. Some one, inadvertently or purposely, has told an untruth that
hurts your reputation. God's glory does not require you to right
yourself. Out of love for Christ, say nothing and suffer the
injustice.
2. A word has hurt your feelings. There is nothing requiring you
to correct the offender. You rejoice in the hurt, because it makes
you more like Christ Our Lord.
3. You could lawfully display your abilities. Nothing makes it
obligatory for you to do so. To be more like your King and Leader,
you remain in the background.
4. Some one has, or seems to have, an unfounded prejudice against
you. The prejudice does not hinder God's greater glory. You do not
remove it.
5. Ingratitude has been shown you. You are glad because it makes
you more resemble Christ.
6. Money is owed you and is refused. You are not obliged to
recover it. You let it go, reflecting that you are more after
Christ's Heart in being poorer. St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the
Church, says: In the first place, if you wish to be truly humble,
when you receive an admonition, receive it in good part and thank
the person who admonishes you. St. Chrysostom says: When the just
man is corrected, he is sorry for the error; but the proud man is
sorry that the error should be known. The Saints, when they are
accused even wrongfully, do not justify themselves, except when to
defend themselves is necessary to avoid giving scandal; otherwise
they are silent and offer all to God.
In the second place, when you receive any affront, suffer it
patiently and increase in love towards the person who has
ill-treated
you. This is the touchstone by which you may know whether a person
is humble and holy. If he resents an injury, even though he may work
miracles, you may say he is an empty reed.
Father Balthasar Alvares said that the time of humiliation is the
time to gain treasures of merits. Yon will gain more by peaceably
suffering contempt than you could by fasting ten days on bread and
water. Humiliations which we inflict on ourselves are good;
therefore, when we know how to bear them, the merit is greater.
But what can a Christian pretend to do if he cannot bear to be
despised for the sake of God? How many contempt's did not Jesus
Christ suffer for us—buffeting, derisions, scourging, and spitting
on His face! And if we loved Jesus Christ, not only should we not
show resentment for injuries, but we should rejoice at seeing
ourselves despised as Jesus Christ was despised.
The third degree of Humility can be practiced, as you readily
see, in little things as well as in great. Indeed the little things
are the more practical ones.
Can you do something in this way for your own perfection? Are you
willing? You are not obliged; you can save your soul without it. You
can insist on your just rights, you can repel injustice, you can
demand your own, and still save your soul. But if you practice the
third degree, you will be doing the best thing that can be done to
prove your love of Him Who is alone worthy to be loved, and you will
come the nearest you can to the imitating of His ever Blessed
Mother.
The practice of the third degree brings peace of soul with it,
gives great security of salvation, and makes one's life a continual
sacrifice most pleasing to God's Holy Majesty.
But you are quite free to practice it or not; it is a question of
your generosity and of your desire to do and be the best you can.
You feel a strong repugnance to poverty and to humiliations. Of
course, it is natural you should. When you practice the third degree
of Humility, you go against the repugnance. If you wish to overcome
this repugnance and go directly counter to it, try to bring yourself
to desire humiliations. You may find one of the following practices
useful:
I. THANKSGIVING FOR HUMILIATIONS RECEIVED
With the assistance of my ever Blessed Mother, I thank Thee, O my
God, for all the humiliations Thou hast ever deigned to send me, and
beg the grace ever to see that such are precious gifts from the
purest love of Thy Sacred Heart and make me more and more resemble
Thee.
II. PRAYER FOR HUMILIATIONS
My most amiable King and Leader, send me this day humiliations, such
as Thou wilt choose and send me, with the efficacious grace to bear
them and to rejoice in them, because they make me more resemble
Thee, Who art the only truly worthy object of my love. And if I
fail, O Lord, in what Thou sendest me, do not put my prayers aside,
but send me other occasions and more efficacious graces. III.
LITANY OF HUMILITY
V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
R. Make my heart like unto Thine Keep me, O Lord,
from the passion for praise,
from the love of esteem,
from repining at neglect,
from selfish seeking after popularity. Meek Heart of Jesus, save me
from exaggeration,
from singularity,
from ostentation,
from inordinate self-trust. Free me, Jesus, free me
from self-esteem,
from pride in success,
from all consent to vanity,
from all self-praise. Jesus, protect me
from dejection at obstacles,
from the avoidance of blame,
from the will to dispute authority,
from unwillingness to consult. Deliver me, O Lord,
from the spirit of unforgivingness,
from despising others,
from refusal to praise,
from the spirit of contradiction. O Lord Jesus, guard me
from proud concealment of ignorance,
from covering up of error and fault,
from human respect in advising,
from proud rebellion at injustice. Humble Heart of Jesus, keep me
from all murmuring and bitterness,
from the avoidance of confusion,
from proud persistence in opinion,
from unwillingness to yield. Give me grace, 0 Jesus,
not to refuse any humiliation,
not to forgot my sins and imperfections,
not to neglect to humble myself in success,
not to forget what I should be and do, but for Thy grace. ANTIPHON
If any man love not the Lord Jesus, let him
be anathema!
V. Having joy set before Him,
R. He endured the Cross, despising the shame. LET US PRAY
King eternal and universal Lord, Who hast invited us, the children
of Thy Mother, to signalize ourselves in every kind of service of
Thee by going against the natural tendencies of our pride; grant, we
beseech Thee, that, received under Thy standard, we may, out of love
and reverence for Thee, imitate Thee in the bearing of reproaches
and injuries.
Holy Mother of God, our gracious Lady Queen, to whom it was given
to walk so closely and so well in the footsteps of Him Who is the
way, the truth and the life; obtain for us, Thy devoted children,
that assisted by Thy example and help, we may, gladly and without
growing faint, endeavor to follow Thee and Him, our Leader, in the
way of the Cross, bring numerous souls to a love of the truth, and
ourselves with them attain unto His perfect service ,in life
everlasting. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. |
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