Humility

[Brigid]

.....,and that you may understand me more clearly I point out that among the evils we suffer some are abject and others are honorable Many men can easily adapt themselves to evils that bring honor with them but hardly anyone can do so to those which are abject. You see a devout old hermit covered with rags and shivering with cold. Everyone honors his tattered habit and sympathizes with his sufferings. If a poor tradesman, a poor gentleman, or a poor gentlewoman is in the same condition people laugh and scoff at them.

St. Francis de Sales

[Brigid]

The truly humble reject all praise for themselves, and refer it all to God.

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Shin]

.....,and that you may understand me more clearly I point out that among the evils we suffer some are abject and others are honorable Many men can easily adapt themselves to evils that bring honor with them but hardly anyone can do so to those which are abject. You see a devout old hermit covered with rags and shivering with cold. Everyone honors his tattered habit and sympathizes with his sufferings. If a poor tradesman, a poor gentleman, or a poor gentlewoman is in the same condition people laugh and scoff at them.

St. Francis de Sales

Some telling points for thought and interior realization!

[martin]

.....,and that you may understand me more clearly I point out that among the evils we suffer some are abject and others are honorable Many men can easily adapt themselves to evils that bring honor with them but hardly anyone can do so to those which are abject. You see a devout old hermit covered with rags and shivering with cold. Everyone honors his tattered habit and sympathizes with his sufferings. If a poor tradesman, a poor gentleman, or a poor gentlewoman is in the same condition people laugh and scoff at them.

St. Francis de Sales

Some telling points for thought and interior realization!

There definitely is a good lesson in that Shin.
Never to show partiality. Theres a lot in scripture too concerning that.

[Brigid]

If we want to do something but cannot, then before God, who knows our hearts, it is as if we have done it. This is true whether the intended action is good or bad.'

St. Mark the Ascetic

[Shin]

If we want to do something but cannot, then before God, who knows our hearts, it is as if we have done it. This is true whether the intended action is good or bad.'

St. Mark the Ascetic

Surprising and hope inducing no?

[Brigid]

It is so wonderful, however I wonder if all this can lead to Quietism. Of course prayer isn't inaction however being a Carmelite or Carthusian is certainly different than how little the laity often pray.

I realize that this topic would seem to veer away from the initial topic, however prayer and hope are certainly part of humility, to my mind.

[martin]

It is so wonderful, however I wonder if all this can lead to Quietism.

Maybe not... "if we want to do something but cannot,"... Cannot being the operative word... If it were the case that it was possible to fulfill the good intention but one did not, that might be a different matter. 

[Shin]

I think the 'or bad' part is of particular note too..

[Brigid]

I think the 'or bad' part is of particular note too..

Interesting - that speaks directly to humility!

[Shin]

It makes me think of when the devil offered the whole world to Christ..

[martin]

I think the 'or bad' part is of particular note too..

That reminds me of a sermon I heard a priest give about confession..
He said thet many people think they haven't commited certain sins but if the intention was there and the only thing lacking was the oportunity, then it is still a sin.

[Shin]

I wonder less why some of the saints accuse themselves of so much..

On the other hand, I know of some other saints who seem to have only a single small sin on their consciences..

Truly our interior lives matter! -Who- we truly are!

[martin]

Yes I'm beginning to understand this a little bit better of why the saints accused themselves so much and often refer to themselves as miserable sinners.
There's a line in that prayer to the Holy Ghost which says,

If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay
All his good is turned to ill.

It must be that the saints attributed every good they Had to the gratuitous grace of God and never claimed any good as being of themselves.

[Shin]

I love that little piece of poetry..