10-12-2026, 08:22 AM
Chapter XXV. Of How Greatly True Humility Quickeneth the Understanding of the Soul in Knowing Its Own Vileness and the Divine Goodness
This lowliness of heart which Christ desired that we should learn of Him, oh my beloved, is a certain marvellous and clear light which doth open and quicken the soul in knowing its own vileness and nothingness and the greatness of the divine goodness. The better a man perceiveth all this the more perfect will be his knowledge of himself. Therefore, perceiving and knowing himself to be nothing and empty of all good, he will more earnestly offer praise and prayer unto the majesty of the divine goodness which he seeth and comprehendeth through this humility, and here is virtue born in him through the grace sent him of God.
The greatest and chief of all virtues is charity, which is love towards God and one's neighbour. And this love springeth from that light; for when the soul perceiveth itself to be nothing, and God inclined towards such vile nothingness and abasing Himself and uniting Himself thereunto, it doth so violently burn with love for Him that through this burning love it is made one with God. And being thus transformed by love, what creature is there who would not love unto the utmost of his power?
Verily the soul thus transformed through love of its Creator loveth all creatures created by Him according as is seemly; for it perceiveth God in all His creatures, and beholdeth how greatly He loveth them. The soul rejoiceth thereat and at the good fortune of its neighbour, and grieveth and lamenteth at his evil fortune; and being kindly disposed it presumeth not to judge him or despise him when misfortune falleth upon him. For, illumined by the aforesaid light, it beholdeth itself and knoweth itself to be in a plight as bad or even worse than that which hath befallen its neighbour. And if the soul is not fallen, yet it knoweth that it had no power of itself to resist, but that it had been helped by the grace which upholdeth it and comforteth it against evil and temptation, or even removeth the temptation. Wherefore it judgeth no man, but rather doth it humiliate itself the more; for, seeing the defects of its neighbour, it looketh unto itself and perceiveth clearly that if it had not been upheld by God it would have fallen into those same evils even more easily than did its neighbour. And beholding the bodily ills suffered by its neighbour, by the strength of its love it feeleth them to be likewise its own and hath compassion on him, as saith the apostle, "Who is there that hath an infirmity and I have it not?"
What I have said of love which hath its origin in the root of humility, may likewise be said of faith, of hope, and of all the virtues, which, according unto their several natures, are founded upon humility, and of which we will now speak one by one.
Faith is born of humility, for knowing itself to be nothing, and lacking in all divine things, it believeth what is told unto it according unto our faith. Perceiving through its humility, moreover, that it hath no power of itself and is not able by its own power to achieve aught, it putteth its hope in God. It is thus likewise with the other virtues, of the which ye can better think for yourselves, taught by divine obedience, than by seeing them put down in any writing whatsoever.
I say unto you, therefore, that ye must lay firm hold of this virtue and see that it increase within you; because unto him who is truly rooted in humility is given angelic conversation, pure, holy, and peaceful. Because, also, this precious virtue of humility rendereth the soul kindly unto all, welcome and loving, and especially unto the elect of God who have to be converted. These are given us for an example and a light, for through their meekness they are the more easily converted. And that man may enjoy inward peace let him not be disturbed by any adversity whatsoever, so that he say truly with the apostle, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" *Quis separabit nos a charitate Christi?*
Oh my sons, cease not from searching until ye shall have found that foundation without which all works fall into ruin and none can make progress upon the way of God. This search is verily important and needful, inasmuch as without humility all other virtues are nothing worth. Hearken unto the desire of the eternal King, Jesus Christ, who hath so ardently prayed you that ye should learn this virtue of Him. Rest upon this foundation and reflect upon your own vileness and nothingness. Hearken unto the wish of the eternal Truth and Wisdom, who concealeth the value of humility from the wise of this world and revealeth it unto babes, preaching it and showing it forth in examples.
My desire after which I do hunger and thirst is that ye should plunge yourselves into the depths of the divine goodness, for if ye trust in the immensity thereof and have a knowledge of yourselves, ye will possess a solid foundation in humility. Then will ye not be so inclined to strife and contention, but ye will be rather as the deaf who hear not, and as the dumb who open not their mouths, and in consequence thereof ye will be true members of Christ, of whom the apostle saith that they enter not into strife or any contest of the flesh.
Of how many good things is this humility the cause! Those who are filled with it are calm, quiet, pleasing unto God and abounding in grace, and this are they because of their inward and outward peacefulness. When they hear any hard thing spoken against themselves or against some truth, they seek not to excuse themselves but only answer briefly and with a low voice, even unto those who do falsely accuse them, and they will confess their ignorance and be ready to give way rather than contend.
This lowliness of heart which Christ desired that we should learn of Him, oh my beloved, is a certain marvellous and clear light which doth open and quicken the soul in knowing its own vileness and nothingness and the greatness of the divine goodness. The better a man perceiveth all this the more perfect will be his knowledge of himself. Therefore, perceiving and knowing himself to be nothing and empty of all good, he will more earnestly offer praise and prayer unto the majesty of the divine goodness which he seeth and comprehendeth through this humility, and here is virtue born in him through the grace sent him of God.
The greatest and chief of all virtues is charity, which is love towards God and one's neighbour. And this love springeth from that light; for when the soul perceiveth itself to be nothing, and God inclined towards such vile nothingness and abasing Himself and uniting Himself thereunto, it doth so violently burn with love for Him that through this burning love it is made one with God. And being thus transformed by love, what creature is there who would not love unto the utmost of his power?
Verily the soul thus transformed through love of its Creator loveth all creatures created by Him according as is seemly; for it perceiveth God in all His creatures, and beholdeth how greatly He loveth them. The soul rejoiceth thereat and at the good fortune of its neighbour, and grieveth and lamenteth at his evil fortune; and being kindly disposed it presumeth not to judge him or despise him when misfortune falleth upon him. For, illumined by the aforesaid light, it beholdeth itself and knoweth itself to be in a plight as bad or even worse than that which hath befallen its neighbour. And if the soul is not fallen, yet it knoweth that it had no power of itself to resist, but that it had been helped by the grace which upholdeth it and comforteth it against evil and temptation, or even removeth the temptation. Wherefore it judgeth no man, but rather doth it humiliate itself the more; for, seeing the defects of its neighbour, it looketh unto itself and perceiveth clearly that if it had not been upheld by God it would have fallen into those same evils even more easily than did its neighbour. And beholding the bodily ills suffered by its neighbour, by the strength of its love it feeleth them to be likewise its own and hath compassion on him, as saith the apostle, "Who is there that hath an infirmity and I have it not?"
What I have said of love which hath its origin in the root of humility, may likewise be said of faith, of hope, and of all the virtues, which, according unto their several natures, are founded upon humility, and of which we will now speak one by one.
Faith is born of humility, for knowing itself to be nothing, and lacking in all divine things, it believeth what is told unto it according unto our faith. Perceiving through its humility, moreover, that it hath no power of itself and is not able by its own power to achieve aught, it putteth its hope in God. It is thus likewise with the other virtues, of the which ye can better think for yourselves, taught by divine obedience, than by seeing them put down in any writing whatsoever.
I say unto you, therefore, that ye must lay firm hold of this virtue and see that it increase within you; because unto him who is truly rooted in humility is given angelic conversation, pure, holy, and peaceful. Because, also, this precious virtue of humility rendereth the soul kindly unto all, welcome and loving, and especially unto the elect of God who have to be converted. These are given us for an example and a light, for through their meekness they are the more easily converted. And that man may enjoy inward peace let him not be disturbed by any adversity whatsoever, so that he say truly with the apostle, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" *Quis separabit nos a charitate Christi?*
Oh my sons, cease not from searching until ye shall have found that foundation without which all works fall into ruin and none can make progress upon the way of God. This search is verily important and needful, inasmuch as without humility all other virtues are nothing worth. Hearken unto the desire of the eternal King, Jesus Christ, who hath so ardently prayed you that ye should learn this virtue of Him. Rest upon this foundation and reflect upon your own vileness and nothingness. Hearken unto the wish of the eternal Truth and Wisdom, who concealeth the value of humility from the wise of this world and revealeth it unto babes, preaching it and showing it forth in examples.
My desire after which I do hunger and thirst is that ye should plunge yourselves into the depths of the divine goodness, for if ye trust in the immensity thereof and have a knowledge of yourselves, ye will possess a solid foundation in humility. Then will ye not be so inclined to strife and contention, but ye will be rather as the deaf who hear not, and as the dumb who open not their mouths, and in consequence thereof ye will be true members of Christ, of whom the apostle saith that they enter not into strife or any contest of the flesh.
Of how many good things is this humility the cause! Those who are filled with it are calm, quiet, pleasing unto God and abounding in grace, and this are they because of their inward and outward peacefulness. When they hear any hard thing spoken against themselves or against some truth, they seek not to excuse themselves but only answer briefly and with a low voice, even unto those who do falsely accuse them, and they will confess their ignorance and be ready to give way rather than contend.
"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