Humility
“He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” — St. Luke 14:11
TWENTY-SECOND DAY.
He who is truly humble desires to be despised, turned into derision, persecuted and calumniated. If we would imitate Jesus Christ, it is in this we can most closely follow Him. Would it not be wise in us to rejoice in contempt, to desire that we be looked upon as the last of men, since He Who is Wisdom itself was so regarded? — St. Teresa.
A holy religious often asked of her Superior the permission to confess her faults publicly, and also begged her to impose humiliating penances upon her that she might be despised by all.
St. Catharine of Genoa said: “When I do wrong, it is I alone who do it; I can attribute it neither to the demon nor to any creature, but solely to my evil inclinations, my pride, my sensuality. If Our Lord did not assist me continually with His grace, what would I not become! I am worse than the demon in doing evil.” When some little fault was committed through weakness, she would say, “This is a plant of my garden,” and humbled herself still more.
Prayer.
My God, I am incapable of any good of myself, I am capable only of doing evil. How can I be proud? Convinced of this truth, ought I not to have a sovereign contempt for myself?