Salesian Literature

Vol. 1, CONFERENCE 6 : On the Five levels of Humility

​

The first degree of humility is the KNOWLEDGE OF OURSELVES.  It is consciousness that we have, when by our own personal experience and through the light of God’s grace illumining our spirit we come to know that we are poor, wretched and worthless.  If this humility does not go beyond this, it is nothing much but is in fat very common.  There are few people who are so blind as not to see clearly their misery, with just a little effort at self-examination.  Even though they are forced to see what they are, they would be very much annoyed if anyone considered them as such. That is why, we should not dwell on this at length and pass on to the second degree of humility, which is the ACKNOWELDGEMENT; for there is a difference knowing a thing and acknowledging it.

 

ACKNOWELDGEMENT means to say and declare publicly, if such a need arises, what we know about ourselves.  But this also means that we honestly say it with a true awareness of our nothingness.  There are millions of people in the world who humiliate themselves only in mere words.  Talk to the most vainglorious woman of the world.  Talk to an equally vainglorious courtier and say to them: “Oh, how perfect you are! What sterling qualities you possess!  I just cannot imagine anybody coming up to such perfection as yours!”  “Oh, dear!” they will say to you, “I am worth nothing at all.  I am but a worthless and imperfect creature!”  But in their heart of hearts, they are extremely happy to hear themselves praised and more so if you believe what you are saying.  All these utterances of their worthlessness do not come from their heart.

 

For if you take them at their word and believe their false protestations, they would be offended and demand an instant reparation of honour.  May God deliver us from these humble people!  The third degree of humility is to ADMIT AND CONFESS our wretchedness and abjection (lowliness) whenever others notice them in us.  So often it happens, that, when we say that we are miserable and wicked we cannot accept that others have anticipated and made this same proclamation about us. If one does it not only are we not happy about it, but we get offended.  It is a true sign that our humility is neither perfect nor exquisite.  We ought, then, to admit it sincerely and say: “You are right!  You really know me very well.”  This degree would then be quite good.

 

The fourth degree of humility is to love the contempt and to rejoice when they discourage and revile us; for what is the sense of giving a false impression of ourselves to others?  It is not something reasonable.  Since we admit that we are nothing, we should be quite happy that others believe it, and talk about it and consequently treat us as mean and wretched.  The fifth degree of humility, which is the last and the most perfect of all the degrees of humility is not only to love the contempt but to desire it, go in search of it, and find our delight in it, out of love for God.  Those who arrive at it are happy, indeed!  But their number is very small.  May Our Lord increase the number of Sisters who are consecrated to him in this little congregation to the number of 25 to 30, SO BE IT!

 

​

Back to Top

​

​