The Practice of Humility: 60 Lessons on the Virtue of Virtues: Pope Leo XIII

by Pope Leo XIII

“Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” –Saint Augustine

Developing the virtue of humility and faithfully endeavoring to practice it is necessary for our salvation. Many times in Sacred Scripture, Our Lord admonishes the proud, elevates the humble, and reminds us that we must become like children to enter into the kingdom of God. Pope Leo XIII, the oldest reigning pope, composed the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel and wrote many encyclicals on the Church’s social teaching and the Rosary. His fidelity to the Church and her many faithful lead him to write this brief but poignant treatise. Within these pages, he delivers sixty lessons filled with practical advice for extinguishing pride and increasing humility. With Pope Leo XIII’s wisdom, by God’s grace, readers will be able to heed Christ’s “Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart” (Matt. 11:29).

Genres: Catholic

63 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2024

About the author

Pope Leo XIII (Italian: Leone XIII), born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, reigned as Pope from 20 February 1878 to his death in 1903. He was the oldest pope (reigning until the age of 93), and had the third longest pontificate, behind that of Pope Pius IX (his immediate predecessor) and John Paul II. He was the most recent pontiff to date to take the pontifical name of "Leo" upon being elected to the pontificate until 2025.

He is well known for his intellectualism, the development of social teachings with his famous papal encyclical [Book: Rerum novarum] and his attempts to define the position of the Catholic Church with regard to modern thinking. He influenced Roman Catholic Mariology and promoted both the rosary and the scapular.

Leo XIII issued a record of eleven Papal encyclicals on the rosary earning him the title as the "Rosary Pope". In addition, he approved two new Marian scapulars and was the first pope to fully embrace the concept of Mary as Mediatrix. He was the first pope to never have held any control over the Papal States, after they were dissolved by 1870. He was briefly buried in the grottos of Saint Peter's Basilica before his remains were later transferred to the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tiny book with a huge message. Easy read, a lifetime to 'practice'.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as I was promised, this book hurt my feelings. 10/10