The practice of the Christian virtues - 1

I. — THE PRACTICE OF HUMILITY

No one can please God without being humble, for God cannot bear the proud. He has promised to hear those who pray to Him; but if a proud man prays to Him, the Lord hears him not. To the humble, on the contrary, He dispenses His graces: God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble (James iv. 6). Humility is of two kinds: humility of the intellect, and humility of the will or of the heart. The former consists in the conviction we have of our own wretchedness, — that we can neither know nor do anything but what is evil. All that we have and do that is good comes from God.

With regard to the practice of humility of the intellect: First, we must put no confidence in our own strength, nor in our own resolutions; but we must be always diffident and tremble for ourselves: With fear and trembling work out your salvation (Phil. ii. 12). St. Philip Neri said: "He who fears not is sure to fall."

Secondly, we must not glory in what belongs to us, such as our natural abilities, our good actions, our birth, our relatives, and the like. It is therefore well never to speak of our actions, except to confess where we have been wrong. It is better still not to speak of ourselves at all, either in praise or blame; because, even when we blame ourselves, it is often an occasion of vain-glory, by making us think that we shall be praised, or at least pass as humble, and thus humility becomes pride.

Thirdly, let us not be angry with ourselves after a fault. That would not be humility, but pride; and even a device of the devil to take away our confidence, and make us turn from a good life. When we see that we have fallen, we should say with St. Catherine of Genoa: "Lord, behold these are the fruits of my own garden!" Then let us humble ourselves, and rise immediately from our fault by an act of love and contrition, resolving not to fall again, and trusting in the help of God. And if we do unhappily fall again, we must rise and resolve again.

Fourthly, when we see others fall, we are not to be astonished: but rather let us compassionate them, thanking God the same has not happened to ourselves, and praying Him to keep His hand over us; otherwise the Lord will punish us by permitting us to fall into the same sins, and perhaps worse.

Fifthly, we must always consider ourselves the greatest sinners in the world; even when we know that others have sinned more than we; because our sins having been committed after we had received so many lights and graces, will be more displeasing to God than the faults of others, though perhaps more numerous than ours. St. Teresa says that we must not think we have made any progress in the Way of Perfection until we esteem ourselves worse than every one else, and desire to be considered the last of all.

Humility of the will or heart consists in being pleased when we are despised by others. Any one who has deserved hell, deserves to be trodden under foot by devils forever. Jesus Christ desires that we should learn of Him to be meek and humble of heart: Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart (Matt. xi. 29). Many are humble in word, but not in heart. They say: "I am worse than all: I deserve a thousand hells." But when anyone reproves them, or says a word that displeases them, they immediately take umbrage. They are like the hedgehogs, which put out their bristles as soon as they are touched. But how is this — you say you are worse than all, and yet you cannot bear a word? "He who is truly humble," says St. Bernard, "esteems himself good for nothing, and desires to be so regarded by others as well."

In the first place, then, 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 he has committed; 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 it is necessary to defend themselves in order to avoid giving scandal: otherwise they are silent, and offer all to God.

In the second place, when you receive an affront, suffer it patiently, and increase in love towards the person who has ill-treated you. This is the touchstone that tests whether a person is humble and holy. If he resents an injury, even though he may work miracles, you may say that he is an empty reed. Father Balthazar Alvarez said that the time of humiliation is the time to gain treasures of merits. You will gain more by peaceably suffering some contempt, than you could by fasting ten days on bread and water. Humiliations we inflict on ourselves are good; but those we accept from the hands of others are worth much more, because in these there is less of self and more of God; 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 much contempt did not Jesus Christ suffer for us! Buffetings, derision, scourging, and spitting in His face! Ah! if we loved Jesus Christ, not only should we not show resentment for injuries, but rather rejoice at seeing ourselves despised as Jesus Christ was despised.