Conferences on the Virtues
By Fr. Bruno Cocuzzi, ocd
Number 19
The Virtue of Humility
As I stated in the last conference, I
will say a bit more about Humility and finish up the instruction on topics
related to Temperance.
Practical rules for the
exercise of Humility…
We ought to keep ever in mind two facts
about ourselves: that which is of
God and that which is of our humanity. Whatever defects exist or occur in us are attributable to our
humanity; whatever pertains to our spiritual well-being is attributable to God,
since every human being, of himself, is nothing (i.e., was created from
nothingness). Hence it is good and
honorable for us to embrace, out of Humility, what appears vile and worthless
to worldly opinion as a means of professing that OF OURSELVES we are nothing,
have nothing, and can do no good thing.
And to profess, further, that whatever in us or about us is worthy of
esteem, honor and praise is a gift of God, which must be referred to Him as its
Author. The practical rules follow
therefrom:
1. When we consider the
gifts God has bestowed upon us, Humility does not forbid us to aspire to
greatness, provided, of course, that it is duly proportionate to the magnitude
of God’s gifts, and that one does not pretend to have somehow “deserved” those
gifts. Magnanimous souls remain humble
when, seeking to achieve great things for the honor and glory of God, they
forge ahead boldly, relying entirely upon the assistance and the grace of God.
2. When we consider those
things which pertain to ourselves or proceed from ourselves alone (as compared
to what is of God in us or proceeds from the grace and favor of God in us), the
humble thing to do is (a) to acknowledge that we are but a tissue of defects,
faults and offences against God, (b) to subject ourselves to all that is of
God, no matter where it is found, and (c) when we have done all that God
expects us to do, to judge that we are His unworthy and useless servants.
3. With regard to 2(b)
above: Humility is concerned with the
full measure of Reverence (Fear of the Lord), with which we submit to
the things of God. Therefore, each one
of us ought to subject all that which is of us in us to all that
which is of God in our neighbor, (every other human being).
4. As a corollary to
(3): Humility does not require (a) that
we subject that which is OF GOD in us to that which is OF GOD in
others, nor (b) that we submit that which is OF US in us to that
which is OF OTHERS in others.
5. Thus we may laudably
deem others to have good qualities in them which we ourselves do not have, and
deem ourselves to have faults and defects which others do not have, and thus be
enabled to subject ourselves to others out of humility. “Indeed” (my author quotes Billuart), “one
can believe that if God had given the very same gifts, graces and blessings to any
other person that he has given to us, that other person would have become
better and more pleasing to God than we have become”.
From the above it would be clear that
there is no element of falsehood in the humble person’s conviction and avowal
that he is the most wretched of all God’s human creatures, unworthy of the
gifts God has bestowed upon him, and incapable of any good thing WHEN he is
comparing what is of him in himself to that which is of God in
others. Likewise, one may, without
lacking in truth, believe and declare that he is the most wretched of all God’s
human creatures because of the defects in himself (that are hidden from
others), and because of the gifts of God in others (that are hidden from
him). Finally, there is no falsehood in
one’s believing and professing that he is, of himself, lacking in merit and
incapable of any good thing, such that all his “sufficiency” is referred back
to God as its Author.
Degrees of Humility…
(I’m tempted to be facetious and say that
the degrees of Humility are: Cum Laude,
Magna cum Laude, and Summa cum Laude, but I’ll resist. Cf. 3rd, below).
According to St. Benedict, there
are twelve degrees of Humility, beginning from its root and highest
degree, to the lesser, as follows:
12th degree: To have a reverential fear of God and be mindful
of all His precepts. 11th:
To do the will of others rather than
one’s own. 10th: To regulate one’s desires according to the
discretion of one’s lawful superior. 9th:
To persist in the preceding despite the difficulty and suffering involved. 8th: Outwardly to
acknowledge and profess one’s defects. 7th:
Inwardly to deem oneself “insufficient” of oneself to accomplish great
deeds. 6th: To prefer others to oneself because of 8th
and 7th above. 5th:
To avoid any semblance of “singularity” (not to depart from the common,
ordinary manner of leading a good life).
4th: To allow others to speak first (not to speak out
of turn). 3rd: To
preserve gravity of mien (to avoid being “silly”). 2nd: To
say only what is necessary and sufficient.
1st: To practice
custody of the eyes.
According to St. Bernard, there
are three degrees of Humility: Sufficient: To be subject to one’s superiors and NOT
to prefer oneself to one’s peers. Abundant: To be subject to one’s peers and NOT to prefer oneself to one’s
inferiors. Superabundant: To be subject to one’s inferiors. (I guess I wouldn’t have been facetious
after all).
Billuart (a well-known and respected
Catholic Moral Theologian, contemporary of the author of my textbook) lists eight
acts or functions of Humility:
(1) Contempt of self. (2) To
esteem oneself unworthy of God’s gifts.
(3) To have no desire to be thought of as great nor to seek to be
honored. (4) To desire to be considered
wretched and to be despised. (5) To
experience [the passion or emotion of] sadness when one is made much of or
honored. (6) To believe one is more
wretched than anyone else. (7) To be
subject to God, and to be subject to all others for God’s sake. (8) In deeds and in regard to “things” to
embrace what the world considers to be “lowly”.
This same Billuart asks (and responds to)
an intriguing question: Should all
of the above “acts” of Humility be practiced by superiors in their
relationships with their subjects?
He finds that St. Augustine has answered
the question already: Interiorly, that
is, in the presence of God, a Prelate (superior) is to be prostrate at your
(the subjects’) feet. Exteriorly,
however, discretion is necessary in the presence of the subordinates
(subjects), lest by being “too humble”, his authority is eroded. And, in general, St. Thomas remarks: By an interior act of the soul it is
quite all right for a humble man to subject himself to others, but in the
exterior expression of humility, as in all the other virtues, due moderation is
to be observed, lest his humility redound to the detriment of the other, that
is, lest the other become proud in his own estimation or conceive contempt for
the humble man.
As I was copying down the eight acts of
Humility according to Billuart, I couldn’t help thinking of what St. John of
the Cross advises in the Ascent of Mount Carmel (Chapter 13,6) in order
to impose harmony and tranquility on the four natural passions:
“Endeavor to be inclined
always: not to the easiest, but to the
most difficult; not to the most delightful, but to the harshest; not to the
most gratifying, but to the less pleasant; not to what means rest for you, but
to hard work; not to the consoling, but to the unconsoling; not to the most,
but to the least; not to the highest and most precious, but to the lowest and
most despised; not to wanting something, but to wanting nothing; do not go
about looking for the best of temporal things, but for the worst; and desire to
enter for Christ into complete nudity, emptiness, and poverty in everything in
the world.”
In addition, St. John counsels other
exercises in (9) of the same Chapter of the Ascent that teach
mortification of the concupiscence of the flesh, of the concupiscence of the
eyes, and of the pride of life, all of which reign in the world and give rise
to all the other appetites (cf. 8):
“First, try to act with
contempt of yourself and desire that all others do likewise. Second, endeavor to speak in contempt of
yourself and desire all others to do so.
Third, try to think lowly and contemptuously of yourself and desire that
all others do the same.”
We see, therefore, that Humility is
PURIFYING. It helps to remove the
stains and defilement incurred by the soul as a result of inordinate desires
and so prepares it for Union with God in Love.
It is not only necessary at the beginning of our spiritual journey (God
resists the proud and gives His grace [of forgiveness and reconciliation] to
the humble, but also at the very end, since “nothing defiled is capable of
entering into direct union with God.”
Before leaving this subject entirely, let
me reproduce here a LITANY OF HUMILITY.
I have adapted it from the one used by Rafael cardinal Merry del Val,
close friend and confidant of St. Pope Pius X.
I have added the standard introduction, a versicle, response and prayer,
and modified two of the invocations. I
have also put it in the plural, since I feel that if I treasure some spiritual
good and desire it for myself, I should desire the same, and even more, for
everyone else.
Lord, have Mercy on
us. Christ have Mercy on us.
Lord have Mercy on us,
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven,
have Mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer
of the World, have Mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit,
have Mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, her most
Chaste Spouse, pray for us.
From the desire of being
esteemed, Jesus, deliver us.
From the desire of being
loved, Jesus, deliver us.
From the desire of being
extolled, Jesus, delivery us.
From the desire to being
honored, Jesus, deliver us
From the desire of being
praised, Jesus, deliver us.
From the desire of being
preferred to others, Jesus, deliver us.
From the desire of being
consulted, Jesus, deliver us.
From the desire of being
approved, Jesus, deliver us.
From the fear of being
humiliated, Jesus, deliver us.
From the fear of being
despised, Jesus, deliver us.
From the fear of
suffering rebukes, Jesus, deliver us.
From the fear of being
calumniated, Jesus, deliver us.
From the fear of being
forgotten, Jesus, deliver us.
From the fear of being
ridiculed, Jesus, deliver us.
From the fear of being
wronged, Jesus, deliver us.
From the fear of being
suspected, Jesus, deliver us.
That others may be loved
more than we, Jesus, grant us the grace to desire it.
That others may be
esteemed more than we, Jesus, grant us the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of
good people, others may increase more than we, Jesus, grant us the grace to desire it.
That others may be
chosen and we set aside, Jesus, grant us the grace to desire it.
That others may be
praised and we go un-noticed, Jesus, grant us the grace to desire it.
That others may be
preferred to us in everything, Jesus, grant us the grace to desire it.
That others may become
holier than we, even though we strive to become as holy as we should, Jesus,
grant us the grace to desire it.
V.
Jesus,
meek and humble of Heart.
R. Make our hearts like unto Thine.
Let us pray. O God, Who by the Humility of Your Son didst
lift up a fallen world, grant, we beseech Thee, that, putting on that mind
which was in Christ Jesus, Who did not esteem being in the form of God
something to cling to, but emptied Himself and took the form of a servant, we
may be divested of pride and girded with humility, and share in His redemptive
sufferings for the salvation of souls.
We ask this through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, Our Lord. Amen
*
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On Studiosity…
The title of this section is the English
transliteration (as opposed to translation) of the Latin “Studiositas”. Perhaps as we go along we can find a better
English word for it. Last time I
suggested “diligence”, but I don’t think it is appropriate.
In any event, it is defined as: the virtue which moderates in accordance
with right reason the appetite for and the application of one’s
powers to the acquisition of KNOWLEDGE.
By knowledge we mean BOTH intellectual knowledge AND sense
knowledge. Thus it resides principally
in the Will (the rational appetite), and secondarily in the concupiscible appetite. Yet there is something about this virtue
that resembles the virtue of Fortitude.
While chiefly concerned with controlling the DESIRE for knowledge, it
also is concerned with overcoming the reluctance we all experience in giving
ourselves to “serious study”.
Fortunately, we can get a better notion
of what this virtue is all about by considering its two opposites, or rather,
the two ways we err in our “desire” to LEARN, namely, by “excess” and by
“defect”.
Considered as a vice, curiosity has to do
with diligence in the pursuit of knowledge that is either none of our business
or which exceed our capacity to acquire (or both). There is a natural delight that accompanies knowing, and
one could have an inordinate desire to experience that particular kind of
delight. Just as we need the virtue of
temperance in regards to the delights of eating, here also we need a virtue to
impose order and reason.
One could be “guilty” of the “sin” of
curiosity in several ways. With regard
to intellectual knowledge, one might want to acquire it for an evil purpose,
as, for example, to feed one’s pride or to be able to harm another. Or one might apply oneself directly to
learning things of little or no value, and indirectly fail to give sufficient
time to the learning of things that are of value. Again, one might try to learn from a forbidden source or
technique, as from demons, fortunetellers, spiritists, and the ouija
board. My author lists also study to
acquire knowledge of “truth” about creatures, but without intending to order it
toward a better knowledge of the perfections of God as they are revealed in His
creation. Finally, one might apply
oneself to the attempt to acquire knowledge that exceeds one capacity to
understand, as a result of which one easily falls into error.
With regard to “sense knowledge”, it is
possible to err by “excess” in the same ways we have noted in the preceding
paragraph. Not all sense knowledge is
useful or appropriate, and sense knowledge can easily be desired as a means to
do evil or to intensify forbidden pleasures of sense. It is even possible to seek sense knowledge from forbidden
sources. For example, one might want to
have “mystical experiences” so badly, that if God does not deign to grant them,
the individual might have recourse to certain types of “eastern meditation”
that purport to enable one to “feel” God.
Of course, we know that God so transcends His creation that it is
utterly beyond the capacity of any created faculty to apprehend Him, Who is
Pure Spirit. [Our Holy Father St. John
of the cross clearly teaches (Ascent, Bk. 2, Chs. 8,9) that no creature
or knowledge comprehensible to the intellect can serve as a proximate means for
union with God. Faith alone is the
proximate and proportionate means by which the human intellect attains divine
union of love. That being true of the
intellect, a spiritual faculty, it is obviously so much more true of the
faculties of sense. Also, since taking
food to sustain a healthy bodily life justifies the enjoyment associated with
eating, so also, learning and knowing those things which make for a healthy
psychic life and enable one to fulfill the obligations of one’s state in life
(i.e., toward God and one’s fellow human beings) justifies the pleasure derived
therefrom.
The “vice” opposed to “Studiosity” by way
of DEFECT is Negligence. Here we
understand it to mean the voluntary omission of learning, or deliberately
failing to get to know what we need to know in accordance with our status or
condition in life. It might very well
proceed from an unwillingness to be in a position of having to give to God and
to others more than one wants to. After
all, of those to whom much has been given, much will be required. The seriousness of this negligence is best
understood when we consider that it is an effective bar to the acquisition of
the virtue of Prudence.
On Moderation in manner…
This is the good habit that regulates
external bodily activity in accordance with right reason, and is defined as the
virtue that confers seemliness on external movements and gestures. It has to do with how one walks, stands,
sits, moves the head, gives “expression” to the countenance, speaks and
laughs. It has, in general, two
purposes: to keep one from being either
“effeminate” or “uncouth”. Specifically,
though, it depends upon the person, the place and the time. What would be a violation of “moderation in
manner” in a person of exalted status, might well be what would be the essence
of the virtue in a person of ordinary rank.
Moderation in recreation…
By the term “recreation”, my author means
both “games” and “jokes”. He has this
to say about it”
Recreation is lawful,
indeed, it is necessary. Since the
reserves of strength in both body and soul are limited, it follows that
continuous effort and strenuous effort cause body and soul to become
fatigued. Then both body and soul are
obliged to “rest”. The fatigue, of
course, is due to the fact that the reserves of one’s physical and psychic
energy have been depleted. The purpose
of “rest” is to replenish them.
The “rest” that
replenishes bodily strength is sleep.
The “rest” that replenishes the energy of the soul is “enjoyment”. The spoken words and the activity that
provide the appropriate form of enjoyment are called “jokes” and “games”. It is so necessary for a person to recreate
in order to restore the strength of his soul, that it could be a “sin” if he
failed to do so.
Nevertheless, there are
certain “rules” to be observed in order not to violate this virtue:
1. That the delight be
not sought in words or deeds that are obscene or injurious to the good name
or fortune of others.
2. That a certain “gravity”
of soul be preserved, lest the fun and games exceed the dictates of reason, as
would be the case of allowing a “party” to degenerate into an “orgy”.
3. That the recreation be
accommodated to the circumstances of person, place and time.
Moderation in
appearances…
This virtue has to do with how one
dresses, wears her hair (or his beard), furnishes home or apartment, what kind
of car one drives, etc. None of these
things are bad in themselves, but one might easily be “inordinate” in using
them. The goal is to use them in such a
way as not to offend others either by a lack of consideration for the
sensibilities of others (unkempt appearance) or by an attempt to give the
impression of superiority (excessively ornate). The norm is to try to appear “presentable” and “approachable” at
all times, that is, to “look nice” ourselves, and to insure that everything
about us, living quarters, paraphernalia, “look nice” too. Again, person place, time, status,
condition, customs, etc. are determinative in this regard.
-
- -
That’s it! Absolutely!
Positively! Next time we will
begin to talk about Fortitude.
You probably know all about it, having had to “struggle” with these last
few conferences. God bless you all!
* * * * * * * * * * *
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