essential

Practical Consideration on the Virtue of Humility

NOW that you 'are conversant With the notion of humility, in Its necessity, ITS excellence and Its motives, I am persuaded That a fervent desire to practice it has-been excited in your heart. But Because, on the one hand, you can not do this without the special help of God, and, on the other, God will work in you nothing without you ----- That is, without the co-operation of your own will ----- When it THEREFORE That Follows You have Invoked the Divine help, not doubting but that you 'will receive it, you must apply yourself to adopt Means Those Which are most likely to help you to to Attain That virtue.
And Because all the masters of spiritual life agree in this, that it is efficacious to Most make a particular examination every day on the virtue Which We wish to acquire, I will expound for your enlightenment a practical examination on Christian humility; and, in order that you 'make a good use of it, I offer you three words of advice.
The first Is that in making your exam eleven day, at least, in order to mark Those faults Which May you have-committed against humility, you choosing not more than one or two of the Most flagrant Which ones are you in the habit of Committing , and THUS, after having Accustomed to amend yourself in Original, you will pass on little by little to the others, until pride will be Eradicated Gradually anti humility will spring up in your heart.
This is Also the Manner In Which We ought to meditate. Certain resolutions generally, to subdue: such as pride and humility to practice, are never of any use; but, on the Contrary, they 'create faq frequently generate confusion and conflict in the mind: Therefore it is Necessary to go into particulars of Those things during the day In Which we Have Been Most sensitive of our imperfections, and even then we must not form a overall intention not to fall into them again through all our life, but it is enough That We Should make a firm resolution not to fall into them again one day During That. It was THUS That holy King David made resolutions and Renewed them, not trying to keep them from year to year, from month to month nor, hut from day to day: "I will pay my vows from day to day." [Ps. lx, 9] And in order to keep them one can not sufficiently It urges the necessity of imposing oneself upon some penance and of accomplishing it faithfully. For example, as many times as I have failed to keep my resolutions today, so many times I will kiss the Wound in the side of Christ, and devoutly recite Hail Marys as many, etc.
The second is to take in Original Which faults form the subject of our review, and to accuse ourselves of them in our confessions, in order to make us still more ashamed of our pride before God, And Also Because the Sacrament of Penance confers a singular grace of Its Own in helping us to amend faults of Those Which We accuse ourselves therein, as St. Thomas Teaches. [P. 3 qu. lxxxiv, art. 8 ad 1] And although none of these defects can absolutely be called sins, and are simply imperfections, it does not follow That we must not pay any heed to them, Because They Either serve to keep us in vice or virtue are an impediment to .
When it is a question of humility, Which is the Most Necessary for our eternal salvation virtue, it is always better and safer to have too much of it than to have too little. And it is Un Certain That I who is content To have only That Which is absolutely essential amount to him That will never really acquire virtue. "Unless you Become as little children, you can not enter into the kingdom of Heaven," said the Saviour of the world, and we have no other way of becoming as little children than to Eliminate our self-love by the vigorous exercise of humility.
The third is that you 'Often Should read this practical examination in order to Reflect seriously upon yourself and to see how you stand in regard to humility, so that you' May not be of Those who are humble and think they 'are not really so.
That St. Thomas says it is for humility to examine the faults-committed against any virtue whatsoever. How much more, Therefore, Should it examine Those Which are-committed against faults This very humility!
You will find many little points in This examination, but if you find yourself defective in many of them, you must not regard them from the point of view of size but of Their Their number, and the more you find That They are usually with you Should the more they 'fill you with fear and apprehension. And in proportion as you find that you 'are not humble In This Or That point, you will be reliable to infer that you' are proud; This examination and if only on humility Teaches you to know your own pride it will not be a small gain, Because We begin to be humble When we open our eyes and Recognize That we are proud.
Many things considered in Themselves are only of counsel; but in respect to Circumstances Such and such they 'can nevertheless be of obligation, and so are Necessary That We May Also not transgress the precept, According to the teaching of St. Thomas. [2a 2AE, qu. lxxii, art. 3; et qu. clxxxvi, art. 2] In conclusion, you must not Make This review scruples or with much anxiety, as if every imperfection Were a sin and as If You Had the presumption to will to be humble all at once, nor must you reject with contempt all that does not you seem to positively of precept.
You must be solicitous in your wish and desire to acquire humility, and You should have diligence and care not to omit Means Those Which would lead you to gain it, and then recommending yourself to God continue to Make This review ACCORDING to the inspiration of God and the dictates of your own conscience. As humility May be Considered under three different Aspects, in relation to God, our neighbor and ourselves, and practiced in two ways, That is to say interiorly and exteriorly, THEREFORE it Follows That we can not in Original in several ways, as we not against the laws of any other virtue, Either by our thoughts, words, deeds or omissions. THEREFORE Let us proceed now to the examination of our faults.