10-10-2026, 11:50 AM
Chapter XXIV. Of the Humility and Example of Christ the Crucified
Vain is all prayer without humility; for, after prayer, humility is the thing most needful unto man. Behold then, ye blessed sons of God, the example of humility furnished unto us in Christ crucified, and herein may ye see the form of all perfection. Behold His life and hearken unto His teaching, which was set forth not in words only but in actual works and fortified with marvellous virtues, and therefore endeavour with your whole minds and energy to follow in His steps. He who was in the form of God did abandon His own nature and take the form of a servant, humbling Himself and rendering obedience even unto death upon the Cross. Truly, He doth offer Himself unto us as an example of humility, ofttimes advising us to take heed unto ourselves, saying, "Learn of Me" (*Quia mitis sum et humilis corde*, which is to say, "I am meek and lowly of heart").
Oh my sons, take heed now and see, and with wisdom reflect upon, the depth and profitableness of His teaching, the sublimity and worth of His instruction, whence it springeth and whereon it is founded. "Learn of Me," He saith, "and not of the angels or disciples, but of Me whose humility is all the greater because My majesty is more sublime." He asketh us not to learn fasting of Him, albeit He fasted forty days for an example unto us; neither doth He ask us to reject the world and live in poverty, albeit He lived in poverty and bade His followers do likewise; neither doth He ask us to learn of Him how He made the heavens, or performed miracles, or other similar things. This only saith He, "I am meek and lowly of heart," as though He would say, "If by word and deed I have not shown you an example of humility, believe Me not."
Yet another time did He set us an example of humility and bid us do likewise and obey Him. For after that He had washed the disciples' feet with His own hands, He said: "Know ye what I have done unto you? If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
The Saviour of the world hath verily shown meekness and lowliness of heart to be the root and foundation of all virtue. Thus, neither abstinence nor the hardship of fasting, nor poverty, nor vileness of raiment, nor outward show of good works, nor the performing of miracles can avail aught without humility of heart. United with that, abstinence would be blessed and right, then would hardship and poorness of raiment be blessed, and living and stable would be the works builded upon this foundation.
This lowliness of heart is mother of all the virtues, whence springeth even the exercising of these virtues, as the trunk and branches spring from the root. So precious is this virtue of humility and so firm its foundation (upon which is built up the whole perfection of the spiritual life), that the Lord did especially desire that we should learn it direct of Him. And inasmuch as it is the root and the safeguard of all virtues, the Virgin Mary, forgetful of all the other virtues of body and soul which she possessed, did trust only in this one, affirming that God was made man of her expressly because of her lowliness of heart, saying, "For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
In this humility must ye build your foundations, oh my sons, and in all ways establish yourselves, in order that ye may show yourselves as members joined unto the Head by a natural unity and in Him find true peace, unto the which no soul can attain excepting it be founded in this humility, without which all those virtues whereby we strive after God are as nothing.
Vain is all prayer without humility; for, after prayer, humility is the thing most needful unto man. Behold then, ye blessed sons of God, the example of humility furnished unto us in Christ crucified, and herein may ye see the form of all perfection. Behold His life and hearken unto His teaching, which was set forth not in words only but in actual works and fortified with marvellous virtues, and therefore endeavour with your whole minds and energy to follow in His steps. He who was in the form of God did abandon His own nature and take the form of a servant, humbling Himself and rendering obedience even unto death upon the Cross. Truly, He doth offer Himself unto us as an example of humility, ofttimes advising us to take heed unto ourselves, saying, "Learn of Me" (*Quia mitis sum et humilis corde*, which is to say, "I am meek and lowly of heart").
Oh my sons, take heed now and see, and with wisdom reflect upon, the depth and profitableness of His teaching, the sublimity and worth of His instruction, whence it springeth and whereon it is founded. "Learn of Me," He saith, "and not of the angels or disciples, but of Me whose humility is all the greater because My majesty is more sublime." He asketh us not to learn fasting of Him, albeit He fasted forty days for an example unto us; neither doth He ask us to reject the world and live in poverty, albeit He lived in poverty and bade His followers do likewise; neither doth He ask us to learn of Him how He made the heavens, or performed miracles, or other similar things. This only saith He, "I am meek and lowly of heart," as though He would say, "If by word and deed I have not shown you an example of humility, believe Me not."
Yet another time did He set us an example of humility and bid us do likewise and obey Him. For after that He had washed the disciples' feet with His own hands, He said: "Know ye what I have done unto you? If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
The Saviour of the world hath verily shown meekness and lowliness of heart to be the root and foundation of all virtue. Thus, neither abstinence nor the hardship of fasting, nor poverty, nor vileness of raiment, nor outward show of good works, nor the performing of miracles can avail aught without humility of heart. United with that, abstinence would be blessed and right, then would hardship and poorness of raiment be blessed, and living and stable would be the works builded upon this foundation.
This lowliness of heart is mother of all the virtues, whence springeth even the exercising of these virtues, as the trunk and branches spring from the root. So precious is this virtue of humility and so firm its foundation (upon which is built up the whole perfection of the spiritual life), that the Lord did especially desire that we should learn it direct of Him. And inasmuch as it is the root and the safeguard of all virtues, the Virgin Mary, forgetful of all the other virtues of body and soul which she possessed, did trust only in this one, affirming that God was made man of her expressly because of her lowliness of heart, saying, "For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
In this humility must ye build your foundations, oh my sons, and in all ways establish yourselves, in order that ye may show yourselves as members joined unto the Head by a natural unity and in Him find true peace, unto the which no soul can attain excepting it be founded in this humility, without which all those virtues whereby we strive after God are as nothing.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre