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Humility of Heart
Humility of Heart - by Rev. Cajetan da Bergamo Although not entirely a new title for the publisher,it is being listed as new because this edition is newly typeset and repunctuated, so it will come alive as if you never read it before! Our Lord said, "Learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart." (Matt 11:29) And also, "Amen, I say to you, unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven." (Matt 18:3) This classic study in humility describes the nature of that virtue typical of all Saints - the one virtue that underlies every other virtue and without which none of us will enter Heaven. Says, "Impregnate yourself with humility, and you will soon find that all other virtues will follow without any effort on your part." A treasure; filled with insights. Buy copies with confidence for all your friends!
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1993
About the author
Cajetan Maria da Bergamo
3 books4 followersFather Cajetan (Gaetano) Maria da Bergamo was an Italian Capuchin and author of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
July 12, 2023
I switched to the paperback version of this because the Kindle version is actually two books in one: this title and Devotion to the Sacred Heart. I think I have a copy of that little booklet somewhere. It looks VERY familiar. Anyway, I will finish that in my Kindle, but also going to see if I cannot find the booklet as well.
I thought they were the same until today in Adoration, I went to read it and discovered that the paperback edition only has the one book. But WHAT a book it is! It is going on my nightstand so I can read some from it every night!
This is the best book I have read in a LONG, LONG time! MOST highly recommended!
I thought they were the same until today in Adoration, I went to read it and discovered that the paperback edition only has the one book. But WHAT a book it is! It is going on my nightstand so I can read some from it every night!
This is the best book I have read in a LONG, LONG time! MOST highly recommended!
October 15, 2008
One of the most helpful books I have ever read and reread.
October 27, 2019
So necessary for me; so helpful
Helped, and will continue to help, me realize just how proud I am and how important humility is. I will certainly be coming back to this one.
Helped, and will continue to help, me realize just how proud I am and how important humility is. I will certainly be coming back to this one.
Read
August 9, 2011Great devotional work - showed me what I need most.
September 29, 2022
Humility is typical of all saints. There is no saint who was not humble.
The easiest way to acquire all other virtues is to concentrate first on acquiring humility.
Humility is an accurate view of oneself and where one stands in relation to all others, but especially where one stands in relationship to God.
Humility is diametrically opposed to the capital sin of pride.
Before we can commit any sin, we have to commit the sin of pride.
If one thinks he is humble, he is not!
The greatest spiritual enemy man has is his own pride.
Mankind’s biggest problem is pride-filled lying.
Acquiring true humility is the toughest assignment one will ever undertake.
Our Lord admonished us: Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart. Mt 11:29 By following the Master Himself, by studying His own Heart, we have to acquire, to appreciate and to practice this first vital, energizing virtue.
Fighting pride will entail a spiritual sort of “hand-to-hand combat” that will continue all one’s life.
Pride is the most profound, inherent flaw in human nature.
Attaining humility is the great battle in life, the one that will lead (through success) to sanctity and salvation, but (through defeat) to sin and perdition.
Humility is the starting post in the race for heaven.
Humility is the alphabet out of which every virtue is formed; the “good ground” on which the Divine Sower goes forth sowing his seed.
Jesus humbled Himself. He emptied Himself.
He who is truly humble knows how to convert all his humiliations into humility. St. Bernard
“He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid.” The height of Mary’s sanctity is gauged by the depth of her humility. He shall exalt the humble.
Humility is a life-long study. Humiliations are most precious opportunities for the salvation and sanctification of the soul.
Jesus said, “Learn of Me, to be humble of heart.
Acquired humility is in a certain sense the greatest good.
God pledged Himself to exalt the humble and continually showers new graces upon them in return for the glory He constantly receives from them.
The humblest man honors God most by his humility.
Jesus Christ summed up all His heavenly doctrine in humility, and before teaching it, it was His Will to practice it perfectly Himself. He was unwilling to command what He Himself did not practice.
Humility is essential for salvation. “No one reaches the kingdom of heaven except by humility.” St. Augustine
“May I know Thee; may I know myself!” St Augustine. And by this prayer he asked for humility, which is nothing else but a true knowledge of God and of oneself.
My substance is as nothing before thee. Ps 38:6 This is what it is to be humble.
If I am proud, I become like a thief, appropriating to myself that which is not mine, but God’s.
In pride, we esteem ourselves above what we are. If I esteem myself, I commit an error against truth.
Where humility is, there is wisdom. Prov 11:2
I have in my corrupt nature a proclivity for every evil. I am quite capable of committing all kinds of sin; and if I do not commit them, it is through a special grace of God, which preserves and restrains me. If I have not fallen into every kind of iniquity, it must be attributed to divine grace. If God were to withdraw His protecting and helping hand, I know I should be precipitated headlong from bad to worse.
Give me grace, O my God, to know myself, only as much as is necessary to keep me humble.
Whether it be little or great, it cannot be done without Him without whom nothing can be done.
I ardently desire to be humble, and from whence comes this love and desire for humility, if not from Thee, who hast put it into my heart by Thy holy grace.
To recognize we are proud is the beginning of humility.
Grant that I may be humble but not know that I am humble. Make me holy but ignorant of holiness.
We must labor as long as life lasts to be humble. And even if we should attain some level of it, we must continue to strive after it. Implore God for the grace to be humble.
Desire to resemble Jesus Christ who bore humility and scorn for the glory of the Father.
Humiliations teach us to know ourselves.
He is humble who converts all his humiliations into humility and says to God: It is good for me that Thou has humbled me.
Where is your penitence when, far from seeking self-mortification, you seek in all things to please yourself? Where is your patience to suffer only the slightest trouble or adversity.
“I will humble myself more for those virtues which I lack than pride myself on those I possess.” St Augustine.
Humility is so fragile it is easily tainted by the love of praise. He who really loves humility embraces humiliations.
When we ask for holy humility, we know for certain we are asking for something most pleasing to God and most necessary to ourselves.
Pride is always to cause for our falls into sin. No one can fall who lies on the ground and no one can sin so long as he is humble.
God permits the proud to fall so that he will be ashamed, humbled and cured of his pride.
If there is holiness in you, fear lest you lose it. How? Through pride. St. Augustine
Regard sins against humility worthy of confession and of amendment.
Humility of heart is true virtue, consisting in the knowledge of God’s greatness and of our own nothingness.
With humility we are enabled to understand everything that is necessary or useful to our salvation.
Humility which is a virtue, is always fruitful in good works. St Augustine.
The truly humble man renders to God all that he has received from God.
Truth consists in know what God is and what we are.
The martyrs were perfectly humble because they preferred to die rather than abandon truth and justice.
He who is humble is always brave in the exercise of his submission to the Divine Majesty, because he receives his strength through grace. The humble refuse obedience to men, when by obeying them they would disobey their God. His intentions are directed to God and he has no desire but to please God and God alone.
The heart of the humble is content in its humility. The more a heart is filled with self-love, so much the greater will be its anxiety and agitation. Agitation is evident truth that my self-love is great, dominant and powerful within me.
Accepting humiliations with prompt resignation to the will of God is a sign of true and sincere humility, because humiliations tend to mortify our self-love and to perfect the submission we owe to God. Humiliations borne with patience, sanctify the soul.
There is no better safeguard against temptation than humility. The more a soul humbles himself before God, the more God comforts that soul with his grace.
God resists the proud, because the proud oppose Him; but He dispenses His graces liberally to the humble, because they live in subjection to His will.
Pride hinders the infusion of grace into the soul. He fills with his grace those hearts that are emptied of self. They have neither self-esteem nor self-confidence and do not rely upon their own strength.
Pride is the chief of all sins and the cause and origin of them all.
Remember your sins in order to live in due humility.
You cannot attain to charity except through humility. St. Augustine
Pride is always ready to take offense, and with this disposition to resent slights and injuries.
Charity cannot exist without humility. “But in humility, let each esteem others better than themselves.” Phil 2:3 Brotherly love cannot endure without humility.
Many great sinners have become great saints without having done anything more than to keep their sins constantly before their eyes and to humble themselves in shame and confusion before God and their fellowman.
Sins can be used as a means of sanctifying us by urging us to a deeper humility.
Mary Magdalen advanced in sanctity as she advanced in humility.
The sorrow we feel at having offended God does not distress the soul, but rather leaves it calm and serene, because it is a sorrow united to humility which brings grace with it.
The humble repent with sorrow and implores the divine assistance to help him to amend. He knows that of himself is only capable of evil and would do far worse if God did not protect him with his grace.
A sinner can quickly become a saint if he is contrite and humbles himself for his sin.
St Paul lived in fear of falling into sin and becoming a castaway after having converted so many souls to God. 1 Cor 9:27 Who can assure me that I should never fall into mortal sin? As long as I live, I cannot be sure. I must hope to save my soul but I must also fear to lose it.
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Therefore, if the heart is well-regulated by humility, the tongue will be also. He who is humble of heart has a poor opinion of himself and a good opinion of others. He never praises himself or blames others. The humble man speaks little and weighs and measures his words in order not to say more than truth and modesty require.
To judge and speak ill are directly opposed to the virtue of humility. If there is humility in the heart, it will be reflected in the speech.
Pride is an illusion of our heart.
Reflecting on death weakens and humbles our self-love. “Excite within my soul now that knowledge and those feelings which I shall have at the last hour of my life. Let me know now as I shall know then what vanity is.
The Day of Judgment is appointed especially to humble the proud.
I am dominated by vanity because I give too little thought to eternity.
How precious the humiliations by which we acquire and exercise humility. Afflictions are a means of becoming humble.
“I make bold to say that it is profitable for the proud to fall, in order that they may be humbled in that for which they have exalted themselves.” St Augustine.
Sanctifying Grace alone, which is given to him who lives in humility and charity, is that which renders the soul precious in the eyes of God, but no one is sure of possessing it.
As Paradise is only for the humble, therefore in Paradise everyone will have more or less glory according to his degree of humility. “Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.” Mt 18:4
The proof of true humility is patience.
Christians alone possess that patience united to humility which receives every adversity with submission to the divine will, and this is the patience which is pleasing to God.
Saint Augustine: that which a man does from pride is not pleasing to God, but that which he does from humility is acceptable to him.
The providence of God has disposed it that between hope and fear we might remain humble.
I ought to be most grateful to anyone who helps to keep me in humility by subjecting me to humiliations of word and deed.
We are to be grateful to those who humiliate us. These humiliations help us acquire humility.
Humiliation is a most sure means of acquiring and practicing humility if received it in a Christian spirit.
To rule ourselves by the maxims of the gospel will inspire humility. Accept insults with humble, prudent, meek patience.
Saint Francis said: “who art thou, and who am I?” and raising his thoughts first to the greatness and infinite goodness of God, he would then descend to consider his own misery and vileness.
Humility checks presumption and strengthens the soul against despair. Saint Thomas
Distrust yourself and confide in God.
In turning our thoughts to ourselves, we should first reflect upon man as being the work of God, created in his image and likeness, in order to give God the glory; then we should reflect upon the sinner in man, which is our work and which ought to make us deeply dejected. “Man and sin are two distinct things. What Savors of man, God made; what savors of the sinner, man made himself. Destroy what man has made, that God may save what he has made.” Saint Augustine
Self knowledge is a great help for acquiring humility. To recognize our own pride is the most useful.
Pride is diabolical and odious to God.
We are debtors to God for every benefit that we received and are bound to employ these gifts for the glory of God.
Our desire to boast of the favours we have received of God demonstrate our ingratitude.
The true reason for which God bestows so many graces up on the humble is this, that the humble are faithful to these graces and make good use of them.
To give thanks to God is an excellent means of exercising humility. Everything good comes to us through the infinite mercy of God.
The best prayer is not that which we are most recollected and for that, but that in which we are most humble.
Contrition for sins is a singular gift of God.
Humility generates confidence, and God never refuses his grace to those who come to him with humility and trust.
Sorrow or contrition by which the soul is sanctified is one of the greatest graces that God gives us.
Simplicity of heart is what the Lord desires of us.
Evil is a work of my wickedness; good is a work of God’s mercy.
God has ordained that these appetites and desires should remain in as an order that we might have occasion to mortify ourselves.
The mortification of the senses, inspired by humility, crush my self-love and craving for esteem.
Hidden ask of humility are safer than exterior ones.
We shall never succeed in acquiring humility unless we really desire to obtain it.
As the heart grows more humble it will feel deeper sorrow for having offended God.
Our natural actions become meritorious when they are supernaturalized by Jesus Christ.
Strive with all your might to acquire holy humility.
Impregnate yourself with humility and you will soon find that all other virtues will follow without any effort on your part. Humble yourself and that you will fully compensate for your other deficiencies.
The very knowledge of our imperfection tends to the praise of humility. Saint Augustine
A soul is holy in measure as it is humble.
Adore the humility of Jesus crucified.
That humility of heart practiced by Jesus Christ in every hour of his life on earth is given to all of us as an example which we are compelled to follow and to this imitation God has united out eternal salvation: unless you be converted and become as little children...
Practice the virtues which we hope to practice forever in heaven.
Deliver me, O Lord, from myself; give me grace to amend and reform myself in order that I may no longer be this earthly, worldly and proud creature but that I may be renewed and make conform to the spirit of my humble lord and master Jesus Christ.
You must apply yourself to adopt those means which are most likely to help you to attain humility.
The sacrament of penance confers a singular grace of its own and helping us to amend those faults of which we accuse ourselves.
We have no other way of becoming as little children than to eliminate our self love by the vigourous exercise of humility.
We began to be humble when we open our eyes and recognize that we are proud.
There’s shame which prevents you from confessing your sin clearly and plainly comes from pride alone. Self-love is cunning and knows how to work secretly.
The whole life of the Christian must be one long penance.
Pray that God will help you know the gravity of your sins and that you will have continual sorrow for sin.
Troubles are sent to you to humble your pride and keep you and due humility. God sends adversity to you to humble you and he humbles you so that from this humiliation you may learn humility.
Examine your intentions; are they purely directed to the glorification of God?
Docility is the beautiful daughter of humility and disposes the soul to obedience. Saint Thomas
Where there is humility there is also tranquility of mind.
Give yourself to humility and God will fill your soul with ineffable consolation.
Humility consist and subjecting ourselves to God and humbling ourselves toward our neighbour for the love of God.
To be unwilling to obey is the proud effort of the will. St. Bernard
Saint Thomas taught that the virtue of humility consists essentially of moderating the desire to exalt ourselves above others.
In secret look up on others as your superiors. Saint Augustine
We should esteem ourselves inferior to all.
Richard of Saint Victor defines humility as the interior contempt of oneself.
If we love humility we must treat those dreams of worldly ambition and pride with disdain and hatred. Pride first enters into the soul through the thoughts of the mind and he who a customs himself to delight in these thoughts has already formed in his heart the bad habit of pride.
Humility teaches us to hold ourselves unworthy of any good that we may possess and to hold ourselves worthy of all the evils of the world. He always keeps before his eyes this sins he has committed and his malicious tendency to commit them again.
What measures do you take in order to be humble?
Study to give humility the highest place because all virtues are required and maintained by humility, and without humility they vanish away.
Whoever overcomes pride overcomes a whole host of sounds.
Pride holds the first place among the deadly sins. It is the king of vices and it influences every sin through its action. Pride is the greatest of sins because the proud rebel against God setting themselves in opposition to him. They do not mind displeasing God in order to please themselves.
There is no vice which prevents the influx of Grace so much as pride because God resists the proud. Pride is the characteristic and most significant sign of the reprobate.
Study to know your own ills if you wish to be cured of them.
If God has given good things to us, he alone deserves the glory for them. Whoever usurps this glory is guilty of pride.
When a man sees that whatever good he has is from the mercy of God, and not from his own merits, he ceases to be proud. Saint Augustine
He sees best who sees that love of pride is a vice. Saint Augustine
If pride is conquered, a host of other sins will be conquered.
Before the tribunal of God, the proud will be condemned and only the humble can hope to find mercy.
Pride is a sure sign of the reprobate as humility is the sign of the elect.
The easiest way to acquire all other virtues is to concentrate first on acquiring humility.
Humility is an accurate view of oneself and where one stands in relation to all others, but especially where one stands in relationship to God.
Humility is diametrically opposed to the capital sin of pride.
Before we can commit any sin, we have to commit the sin of pride.
If one thinks he is humble, he is not!
The greatest spiritual enemy man has is his own pride.
Mankind’s biggest problem is pride-filled lying.
Acquiring true humility is the toughest assignment one will ever undertake.
Our Lord admonished us: Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart. Mt 11:29 By following the Master Himself, by studying His own Heart, we have to acquire, to appreciate and to practice this first vital, energizing virtue.
Fighting pride will entail a spiritual sort of “hand-to-hand combat” that will continue all one’s life.
Pride is the most profound, inherent flaw in human nature.
Attaining humility is the great battle in life, the one that will lead (through success) to sanctity and salvation, but (through defeat) to sin and perdition.
Humility is the starting post in the race for heaven.
Humility is the alphabet out of which every virtue is formed; the “good ground” on which the Divine Sower goes forth sowing his seed.
Jesus humbled Himself. He emptied Himself.
He who is truly humble knows how to convert all his humiliations into humility. St. Bernard
“He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid.” The height of Mary’s sanctity is gauged by the depth of her humility. He shall exalt the humble.
Humility is a life-long study. Humiliations are most precious opportunities for the salvation and sanctification of the soul.
Jesus said, “Learn of Me, to be humble of heart.
Acquired humility is in a certain sense the greatest good.
God pledged Himself to exalt the humble and continually showers new graces upon them in return for the glory He constantly receives from them.
The humblest man honors God most by his humility.
Jesus Christ summed up all His heavenly doctrine in humility, and before teaching it, it was His Will to practice it perfectly Himself. He was unwilling to command what He Himself did not practice.
Humility is essential for salvation. “No one reaches the kingdom of heaven except by humility.” St. Augustine
“May I know Thee; may I know myself!” St Augustine. And by this prayer he asked for humility, which is nothing else but a true knowledge of God and of oneself.
My substance is as nothing before thee. Ps 38:6 This is what it is to be humble.
If I am proud, I become like a thief, appropriating to myself that which is not mine, but God’s.
In pride, we esteem ourselves above what we are. If I esteem myself, I commit an error against truth.
Where humility is, there is wisdom. Prov 11:2
I have in my corrupt nature a proclivity for every evil. I am quite capable of committing all kinds of sin; and if I do not commit them, it is through a special grace of God, which preserves and restrains me. If I have not fallen into every kind of iniquity, it must be attributed to divine grace. If God were to withdraw His protecting and helping hand, I know I should be precipitated headlong from bad to worse.
Give me grace, O my God, to know myself, only as much as is necessary to keep me humble.
Whether it be little or great, it cannot be done without Him without whom nothing can be done.
I ardently desire to be humble, and from whence comes this love and desire for humility, if not from Thee, who hast put it into my heart by Thy holy grace.
To recognize we are proud is the beginning of humility.
Grant that I may be humble but not know that I am humble. Make me holy but ignorant of holiness.
We must labor as long as life lasts to be humble. And even if we should attain some level of it, we must continue to strive after it. Implore God for the grace to be humble.
Desire to resemble Jesus Christ who bore humility and scorn for the glory of the Father.
Humiliations teach us to know ourselves.
He is humble who converts all his humiliations into humility and says to God: It is good for me that Thou has humbled me.
Where is your penitence when, far from seeking self-mortification, you seek in all things to please yourself? Where is your patience to suffer only the slightest trouble or adversity.
“I will humble myself more for those virtues which I lack than pride myself on those I possess.” St Augustine.
Humility is so fragile it is easily tainted by the love of praise. He who really loves humility embraces humiliations.
When we ask for holy humility, we know for certain we are asking for something most pleasing to God and most necessary to ourselves.
Pride is always to cause for our falls into sin. No one can fall who lies on the ground and no one can sin so long as he is humble.
God permits the proud to fall so that he will be ashamed, humbled and cured of his pride.
If there is holiness in you, fear lest you lose it. How? Through pride. St. Augustine
Regard sins against humility worthy of confession and of amendment.
Humility of heart is true virtue, consisting in the knowledge of God’s greatness and of our own nothingness.
With humility we are enabled to understand everything that is necessary or useful to our salvation.
Humility which is a virtue, is always fruitful in good works. St Augustine.
The truly humble man renders to God all that he has received from God.
Truth consists in know what God is and what we are.
The martyrs were perfectly humble because they preferred to die rather than abandon truth and justice.
He who is humble is always brave in the exercise of his submission to the Divine Majesty, because he receives his strength through grace. The humble refuse obedience to men, when by obeying them they would disobey their God. His intentions are directed to God and he has no desire but to please God and God alone.
The heart of the humble is content in its humility. The more a heart is filled with self-love, so much the greater will be its anxiety and agitation. Agitation is evident truth that my self-love is great, dominant and powerful within me.
Accepting humiliations with prompt resignation to the will of God is a sign of true and sincere humility, because humiliations tend to mortify our self-love and to perfect the submission we owe to God. Humiliations borne with patience, sanctify the soul.
There is no better safeguard against temptation than humility. The more a soul humbles himself before God, the more God comforts that soul with his grace.
God resists the proud, because the proud oppose Him; but He dispenses His graces liberally to the humble, because they live in subjection to His will.
Pride hinders the infusion of grace into the soul. He fills with his grace those hearts that are emptied of self. They have neither self-esteem nor self-confidence and do not rely upon their own strength.
Pride is the chief of all sins and the cause and origin of them all.
Remember your sins in order to live in due humility.
You cannot attain to charity except through humility. St. Augustine
Pride is always ready to take offense, and with this disposition to resent slights and injuries.
Charity cannot exist without humility. “But in humility, let each esteem others better than themselves.” Phil 2:3 Brotherly love cannot endure without humility.
Many great sinners have become great saints without having done anything more than to keep their sins constantly before their eyes and to humble themselves in shame and confusion before God and their fellowman.
Sins can be used as a means of sanctifying us by urging us to a deeper humility.
Mary Magdalen advanced in sanctity as she advanced in humility.
The sorrow we feel at having offended God does not distress the soul, but rather leaves it calm and serene, because it is a sorrow united to humility which brings grace with it.
The humble repent with sorrow and implores the divine assistance to help him to amend. He knows that of himself is only capable of evil and would do far worse if God did not protect him with his grace.
A sinner can quickly become a saint if he is contrite and humbles himself for his sin.
St Paul lived in fear of falling into sin and becoming a castaway after having converted so many souls to God. 1 Cor 9:27 Who can assure me that I should never fall into mortal sin? As long as I live, I cannot be sure. I must hope to save my soul but I must also fear to lose it.
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Therefore, if the heart is well-regulated by humility, the tongue will be also. He who is humble of heart has a poor opinion of himself and a good opinion of others. He never praises himself or blames others. The humble man speaks little and weighs and measures his words in order not to say more than truth and modesty require.
To judge and speak ill are directly opposed to the virtue of humility. If there is humility in the heart, it will be reflected in the speech.
Pride is an illusion of our heart.
Reflecting on death weakens and humbles our self-love. “Excite within my soul now that knowledge and those feelings which I shall have at the last hour of my life. Let me know now as I shall know then what vanity is.
The Day of Judgment is appointed especially to humble the proud.
I am dominated by vanity because I give too little thought to eternity.
How precious the humiliations by which we acquire and exercise humility. Afflictions are a means of becoming humble.
“I make bold to say that it is profitable for the proud to fall, in order that they may be humbled in that for which they have exalted themselves.” St Augustine.
Sanctifying Grace alone, which is given to him who lives in humility and charity, is that which renders the soul precious in the eyes of God, but no one is sure of possessing it.
As Paradise is only for the humble, therefore in Paradise everyone will have more or less glory according to his degree of humility. “Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.” Mt 18:4
The proof of true humility is patience.
Christians alone possess that patience united to humility which receives every adversity with submission to the divine will, and this is the patience which is pleasing to God.
Saint Augustine: that which a man does from pride is not pleasing to God, but that which he does from humility is acceptable to him.
The providence of God has disposed it that between hope and fear we might remain humble.
I ought to be most grateful to anyone who helps to keep me in humility by subjecting me to humiliations of word and deed.
We are to be grateful to those who humiliate us. These humiliations help us acquire humility.
Humiliation is a most sure means of acquiring and practicing humility if received it in a Christian spirit.
To rule ourselves by the maxims of the gospel will inspire humility. Accept insults with humble, prudent, meek patience.
Saint Francis said: “who art thou, and who am I?” and raising his thoughts first to the greatness and infinite goodness of God, he would then descend to consider his own misery and vileness.
Humility checks presumption and strengthens the soul against despair. Saint Thomas
Distrust yourself and confide in God.
In turning our thoughts to ourselves, we should first reflect upon man as being the work of God, created in his image and likeness, in order to give God the glory; then we should reflect upon the sinner in man, which is our work and which ought to make us deeply dejected. “Man and sin are two distinct things. What Savors of man, God made; what savors of the sinner, man made himself. Destroy what man has made, that God may save what he has made.” Saint Augustine
Self knowledge is a great help for acquiring humility. To recognize our own pride is the most useful.
Pride is diabolical and odious to God.
We are debtors to God for every benefit that we received and are bound to employ these gifts for the glory of God.
Our desire to boast of the favours we have received of God demonstrate our ingratitude.
The true reason for which God bestows so many graces up on the humble is this, that the humble are faithful to these graces and make good use of them.
To give thanks to God is an excellent means of exercising humility. Everything good comes to us through the infinite mercy of God.
The best prayer is not that which we are most recollected and for that, but that in which we are most humble.
Contrition for sins is a singular gift of God.
Humility generates confidence, and God never refuses his grace to those who come to him with humility and trust.
Sorrow or contrition by which the soul is sanctified is one of the greatest graces that God gives us.
Simplicity of heart is what the Lord desires of us.
Evil is a work of my wickedness; good is a work of God’s mercy.
God has ordained that these appetites and desires should remain in as an order that we might have occasion to mortify ourselves.
The mortification of the senses, inspired by humility, crush my self-love and craving for esteem.
Hidden ask of humility are safer than exterior ones.
We shall never succeed in acquiring humility unless we really desire to obtain it.
As the heart grows more humble it will feel deeper sorrow for having offended God.
Our natural actions become meritorious when they are supernaturalized by Jesus Christ.
Strive with all your might to acquire holy humility.
Impregnate yourself with humility and you will soon find that all other virtues will follow without any effort on your part. Humble yourself and that you will fully compensate for your other deficiencies.
The very knowledge of our imperfection tends to the praise of humility. Saint Augustine
A soul is holy in measure as it is humble.
Adore the humility of Jesus crucified.
That humility of heart practiced by Jesus Christ in every hour of his life on earth is given to all of us as an example which we are compelled to follow and to this imitation God has united out eternal salvation: unless you be converted and become as little children...
Practice the virtues which we hope to practice forever in heaven.
Deliver me, O Lord, from myself; give me grace to amend and reform myself in order that I may no longer be this earthly, worldly and proud creature but that I may be renewed and make conform to the spirit of my humble lord and master Jesus Christ.
You must apply yourself to adopt those means which are most likely to help you to attain humility.
The sacrament of penance confers a singular grace of its own and helping us to amend those faults of which we accuse ourselves.
We have no other way of becoming as little children than to eliminate our self love by the vigourous exercise of humility.
We began to be humble when we open our eyes and recognize that we are proud.
There’s shame which prevents you from confessing your sin clearly and plainly comes from pride alone. Self-love is cunning and knows how to work secretly.
The whole life of the Christian must be one long penance.
Pray that God will help you know the gravity of your sins and that you will have continual sorrow for sin.
Troubles are sent to you to humble your pride and keep you and due humility. God sends adversity to you to humble you and he humbles you so that from this humiliation you may learn humility.
Examine your intentions; are they purely directed to the glorification of God?
Docility is the beautiful daughter of humility and disposes the soul to obedience. Saint Thomas
Where there is humility there is also tranquility of mind.
Give yourself to humility and God will fill your soul with ineffable consolation.
Humility consist and subjecting ourselves to God and humbling ourselves toward our neighbour for the love of God.
To be unwilling to obey is the proud effort of the will. St. Bernard
Saint Thomas taught that the virtue of humility consists essentially of moderating the desire to exalt ourselves above others.
In secret look up on others as your superiors. Saint Augustine
We should esteem ourselves inferior to all.
Richard of Saint Victor defines humility as the interior contempt of oneself.
If we love humility we must treat those dreams of worldly ambition and pride with disdain and hatred. Pride first enters into the soul through the thoughts of the mind and he who a customs himself to delight in these thoughts has already formed in his heart the bad habit of pride.
Humility teaches us to hold ourselves unworthy of any good that we may possess and to hold ourselves worthy of all the evils of the world. He always keeps before his eyes this sins he has committed and his malicious tendency to commit them again.
What measures do you take in order to be humble?
Study to give humility the highest place because all virtues are required and maintained by humility, and without humility they vanish away.
Whoever overcomes pride overcomes a whole host of sounds.
Pride holds the first place among the deadly sins. It is the king of vices and it influences every sin through its action. Pride is the greatest of sins because the proud rebel against God setting themselves in opposition to him. They do not mind displeasing God in order to please themselves.
There is no vice which prevents the influx of Grace so much as pride because God resists the proud. Pride is the characteristic and most significant sign of the reprobate.
Study to know your own ills if you wish to be cured of them.
If God has given good things to us, he alone deserves the glory for them. Whoever usurps this glory is guilty of pride.
When a man sees that whatever good he has is from the mercy of God, and not from his own merits, he ceases to be proud. Saint Augustine
He sees best who sees that love of pride is a vice. Saint Augustine
If pride is conquered, a host of other sins will be conquered.
Before the tribunal of God, the proud will be condemned and only the humble can hope to find mercy.
Pride is a sure sign of the reprobate as humility is the sign of the elect.
September 13, 2021
“Pride is a sure sign of the reprobate, as humility is the sign of the elect.” ~St. Pope Gregory the Great
June 8, 2020
A beautiful and important book about the most important virtue to counter the most important sin: humility defeats pride, and is beautiful in its victory. It's written by a Capuchin in the 17th century, but the writing feels applicable to our day and age, because it is dealing with human nature, which never changes.
(regarding pride) "...(we) attribute to ourselves and appropriate from others to ourselves all the credit and glory of any little thing we do." (p. xxi)
"...he who thinks himself to be humble is no longer so. In the same way that to recognize that we are proud is the beginning of humility, so to flatter ourselves that we are humble is the beginning of pride, and the more humble we think ourselves, the greater is our pride." (p. 18)
"To be contented and self-satisfied, to lead a quiet, easy-going life, accomplishing only what duty prescribes, is not a good sign." (p. 22)
"I will humble myself more for those virtues which I lack than pride myself on those I possess." (p. 27)
"A depraved intention, a single thought of vanity at the beginning, middle or ending of any virtuous work is sufficient to corrupt and change it into an evil one." (p. 27)
"There has never been a case of sin, says St. Augustine, nor ever will be one, nor can ever be one, of which pride was not in some measure the occasion." (p. 31)
"...as a doctor often permits his patient to suffer from a minor ill in order to liberate him from a greater, so God permits the soul to fall into the sin of the senses, so that it may be cured of the vice of pride." (p. 33)
"It is for this reason that the proud man is always timid, because his pride is only sustained by the weakness of human nature. And he who is humble is always brave in the exercise of his submission to the Divine Majesty, because he receives his strength through grace." (p. 39)
"If a nobleman is insulted in some public resort by a low-born menial, the offense is considered great, and an adequate punishment is demanded for such an outrage; and yet it is only a man who has been insulted by another worm, nothingness offended by nothingness." (p. 50)
"There is always some pharisaical pride in the heart of him who judges and speaks evil of others, because in belittling others, he exalts himself." (p. 62)
"'And the rich man also died.' Thus writes St. Luke of a proud man who was "clothed in purple and fine linen.' And the rich man died - that is the end of all humanity, and vanity. And 'he was buried in hell' (S. Luke XVI: xxii) - that is the end of all pride. The grave is the end of man; Hell is the end of the proud." (p. 68)
"For he who glories in his wealth may soon become poor; he who glories in his health may suddenly become infirm; he who glories in his knowledge may suddenly become insane; he who glories in his holiness may suddenly fall into some great sin. What vanity, what folly, then, to glory in that which is not our own, nor even in our power to keep! 'What hast thou that thou has not received?' (1 Cor IV: vii) (p. 95)
"Let us strive with all our might to acquire this holy humility; and if by the help of God, we succeed in possessing it only in such measure as our state of life demands, we shall then either imperceptibly attain to all other virtues, or this humility alone will suffice to compensate for all our deficiencies." (p. 118)
"There are some who are troubled because their prayers are full of distractions. This proceeds from pride, which is presumptuous enough to be astonished at the weakness and impotency of the mind. When you perceive that your thoughts are wandering, make an act of humility, and exclaim: 'O my God, what an abject creature I am in not being able to fix my thoughts on Thee, even for a few moments.' Renew this act of humility as often as these distractions occur, and if it is written of charity that it 'covereth a multitude of sins,' (1 S. Peter IV:viii), it is also true of humility and contributes greatly to our perfection. 'The very knowledge of our imperfection,' says St. Augustine, 'tends to the praise of humility.'" (p. 119)
"'Let man be ashamed to be proud,' says St. Augustine, 'for whose sake a God became humble.'" (p. 125)
"Do you esteem yourself above others for any gift of nature, education or grace? That is true pride, and you must subdue this by humility, holding yourself inferior to others, as in fact you may be before God." (p. 154)
"When you say to yourself, 'I am not obligated to do this or that act of humility,' it may be that you are making a grave mistake. However much your exterior humility must be directed by prudence, you certainly cannot dispense with the interior humility of the heart." (p. 162)
"Adulation is always pernicious, whether we adulate ourselves or others." (p. 172)
(quoting St. Augustine) "Other vices are to be feared in sins; pride is to be feared even in good deeds." (p. 178)
(quoting St. Isidore) "Pride is worse than every other vice from the fact that it springs even from virtue and its guilt is less felt." (p. 178)
"...pride has never left our heart, because it is domiciled there." (p. 145)
(regarding pride) "...(we) attribute to ourselves and appropriate from others to ourselves all the credit and glory of any little thing we do." (p. xxi)
"...he who thinks himself to be humble is no longer so. In the same way that to recognize that we are proud is the beginning of humility, so to flatter ourselves that we are humble is the beginning of pride, and the more humble we think ourselves, the greater is our pride." (p. 18)
"To be contented and self-satisfied, to lead a quiet, easy-going life, accomplishing only what duty prescribes, is not a good sign." (p. 22)
"I will humble myself more for those virtues which I lack than pride myself on those I possess." (p. 27)
"A depraved intention, a single thought of vanity at the beginning, middle or ending of any virtuous work is sufficient to corrupt and change it into an evil one." (p. 27)
"There has never been a case of sin, says St. Augustine, nor ever will be one, nor can ever be one, of which pride was not in some measure the occasion." (p. 31)
"...as a doctor often permits his patient to suffer from a minor ill in order to liberate him from a greater, so God permits the soul to fall into the sin of the senses, so that it may be cured of the vice of pride." (p. 33)
"It is for this reason that the proud man is always timid, because his pride is only sustained by the weakness of human nature. And he who is humble is always brave in the exercise of his submission to the Divine Majesty, because he receives his strength through grace." (p. 39)
"If a nobleman is insulted in some public resort by a low-born menial, the offense is considered great, and an adequate punishment is demanded for such an outrage; and yet it is only a man who has been insulted by another worm, nothingness offended by nothingness." (p. 50)
"There is always some pharisaical pride in the heart of him who judges and speaks evil of others, because in belittling others, he exalts himself." (p. 62)
"'And the rich man also died.' Thus writes St. Luke of a proud man who was "clothed in purple and fine linen.' And the rich man died - that is the end of all humanity, and vanity. And 'he was buried in hell' (S. Luke XVI: xxii) - that is the end of all pride. The grave is the end of man; Hell is the end of the proud." (p. 68)
"For he who glories in his wealth may soon become poor; he who glories in his health may suddenly become infirm; he who glories in his knowledge may suddenly become insane; he who glories in his holiness may suddenly fall into some great sin. What vanity, what folly, then, to glory in that which is not our own, nor even in our power to keep! 'What hast thou that thou has not received?' (1 Cor IV: vii) (p. 95)
"Let us strive with all our might to acquire this holy humility; and if by the help of God, we succeed in possessing it only in such measure as our state of life demands, we shall then either imperceptibly attain to all other virtues, or this humility alone will suffice to compensate for all our deficiencies." (p. 118)
"There are some who are troubled because their prayers are full of distractions. This proceeds from pride, which is presumptuous enough to be astonished at the weakness and impotency of the mind. When you perceive that your thoughts are wandering, make an act of humility, and exclaim: 'O my God, what an abject creature I am in not being able to fix my thoughts on Thee, even for a few moments.' Renew this act of humility as often as these distractions occur, and if it is written of charity that it 'covereth a multitude of sins,' (1 S. Peter IV:viii), it is also true of humility and contributes greatly to our perfection. 'The very knowledge of our imperfection,' says St. Augustine, 'tends to the praise of humility.'" (p. 119)
"'Let man be ashamed to be proud,' says St. Augustine, 'for whose sake a God became humble.'" (p. 125)
"Do you esteem yourself above others for any gift of nature, education or grace? That is true pride, and you must subdue this by humility, holding yourself inferior to others, as in fact you may be before God." (p. 154)
"When you say to yourself, 'I am not obligated to do this or that act of humility,' it may be that you are making a grave mistake. However much your exterior humility must be directed by prudence, you certainly cannot dispense with the interior humility of the heart." (p. 162)
"Adulation is always pernicious, whether we adulate ourselves or others." (p. 172)
(quoting St. Augustine) "Other vices are to be feared in sins; pride is to be feared even in good deeds." (p. 178)
(quoting St. Isidore) "Pride is worse than every other vice from the fact that it springs even from virtue and its guilt is less felt." (p. 178)
"...pride has never left our heart, because it is domiciled there." (p. 145)
November 10, 2024
An essential classic written with simplicity and directness.
May 12, 2023
I don’t remember if I was led to this book from another or if I stumbled across it in an internet search. It can be easily found in reprints and online. It was written by an Italian Minor Capuchin who lived from 1672-1753. He was a prolific author with over 100 works to his credit. Humility of Heart and one other are the only two I can find translated into English.
Humility of Heart is translated by a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Westminster in England. Vaughan was responsible for the building of the Westminster Cathedral, the largest Catholic Church in England (not to be confused with Westminster Abbey, where coronations and other royal events happen.) He was also an opponent to ecumenical relations with the Anglican Church which culminated in the papal pronouncement Apostolicae curae, declaring Anglican holy orders invalid.
Cardinal Vaughan’s translation of this work was one of his last works before his death. The preface tells that he studied the work for over 30 years and made it his constant companion for the last 14 years of his life. Upon reading Cajetan’s work, it becomes evident why it was given this degree of attention.
The edition I downloaded and printed has sections numbered 1-153, breaking the work into digestible parts for daily reflection. I have encountered no other work which examines humility so thoroughly and in such a devotional manner. This is not an academic treatment, but meant for personal examine and reflection, and would be a good work for Lectio Divina.
Scarcely could I turn a page without being challenged and confronted. Cajetan uncovers pride lurking in multiple crevices of the heart and admonishes the corrective way to humility of each. The opening paragraphs illustrate the character of the work.
In Paradise there are many Saints who never gave alms on earth: their poverty justified them. There are many Saints who never mortified their bodies by fasting, or wearing hair shirts: their bodily infirmities excused them. There are many Saints too who were not virgins: their vocation was otherwise. But in Paradise there is no Saint who was not humble.
God banished Angels from Heaven for their pride; therefore how can we pretend to enter therein, if we do not keep ourselves in a state of humility?
•••
The book is not without challenges. Scripture quotations are in the Douay-Rheims translation and several passages are significantly different from modern translations. Cajetan also freely quotes from other sources, with most not being referenced to modern standards, which makes following them to the originals challenging or even impossible.
Readers should also keep in mind that this is a Roman Catholic work. There are references to Mary in a few places that reflect veneration beyond Protestant sensibilities. He also refers to various acts of pride as mortal sins, but reading these as emphasizing the gravity of the offense—and avoiding doctrinal debates over degrees of sin—can still profit the reader.
This book certainly commends itself to rereading and is on course to join The Sayings of the Desert Fathers as a part of my daily devotional reading.
Humility of Heart is translated by a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Westminster in England. Vaughan was responsible for the building of the Westminster Cathedral, the largest Catholic Church in England (not to be confused with Westminster Abbey, where coronations and other royal events happen.) He was also an opponent to ecumenical relations with the Anglican Church which culminated in the papal pronouncement Apostolicae curae, declaring Anglican holy orders invalid.
Cardinal Vaughan’s translation of this work was one of his last works before his death. The preface tells that he studied the work for over 30 years and made it his constant companion for the last 14 years of his life. Upon reading Cajetan’s work, it becomes evident why it was given this degree of attention.
The edition I downloaded and printed has sections numbered 1-153, breaking the work into digestible parts for daily reflection. I have encountered no other work which examines humility so thoroughly and in such a devotional manner. This is not an academic treatment, but meant for personal examine and reflection, and would be a good work for Lectio Divina.
Scarcely could I turn a page without being challenged and confronted. Cajetan uncovers pride lurking in multiple crevices of the heart and admonishes the corrective way to humility of each. The opening paragraphs illustrate the character of the work.
In Paradise there are many Saints who never gave alms on earth: their poverty justified them. There are many Saints who never mortified their bodies by fasting, or wearing hair shirts: their bodily infirmities excused them. There are many Saints too who were not virgins: their vocation was otherwise. But in Paradise there is no Saint who was not humble.
God banished Angels from Heaven for their pride; therefore how can we pretend to enter therein, if we do not keep ourselves in a state of humility?
•••
The book is not without challenges. Scripture quotations are in the Douay-Rheims translation and several passages are significantly different from modern translations. Cajetan also freely quotes from other sources, with most not being referenced to modern standards, which makes following them to the originals challenging or even impossible.
Readers should also keep in mind that this is a Roman Catholic work. There are references to Mary in a few places that reflect veneration beyond Protestant sensibilities. He also refers to various acts of pride as mortal sins, but reading these as emphasizing the gravity of the offense—and avoiding doctrinal debates over degrees of sin—can still profit the reader.
This book certainly commends itself to rereading and is on course to join The Sayings of the Desert Fathers as a part of my daily devotional reading.
February 19, 2021
A very practical book on the necessity of humility in the Christian life. It sometimes feels a bit repetitious, but otherwise it does a good job explaining how humility may be obtained, the dangers of false humility, and the avoidance of the destroyer of humility, pride. The author supports his points with a myriad of quotations from Scripture and the saints, and ends the treatise with an examination of sins that are particularly born of pride (though, of course, all sin is in someway born of pride, for it is the preference of one's own will to that of God's, which the author continually notes). Humility is the mother of all virtues, just as pride is the father of all vice. Humility is, in the author's opinion, the defining quality of Christian life and the most necessary or all virtues to obtain. Pride is the deadliest of all sins not only because it spawns all other sins, but because it is the one vice which can be born from virtue and take root among the virtues. That is why it is the greatest foe to the Faithful.
This would be an excellent book to have taken notes on which I, alas, did not do.
This would be an excellent book to have taken notes on which I, alas, did not do.
August 23, 2015
Above all, be humble
This book will guide and yeah you to recognize and avoid the sin of pride. This, as the book points out, it's no easy task. Read this book with an open heart ready to change your ways in order to avoid this sin. Good Bless.
This book will guide and yeah you to recognize and avoid the sin of pride. This, as the book points out, it's no easy task. Read this book with an open heart ready to change your ways in order to avoid this sin. Good Bless.
November 15, 2021
If you think you're not proud, read this book. So much to work on, and we can by the grace of God. The author helps to break down pride and humility into manageable pieces, though it's still not easy to hear and change.
August 13, 2008
Excellent dealing with that thing that scares us all -pride. I hve reread this book many times. Everyone should read this book
March 25, 2022
A very difficult read. It makes you look very deeply at yourself and pride. I’ve grown a lot from reading this book. I highly recommend it.
July 7, 2021
Excellent. Probably the best book I’ve read on this subject.
Want to Read
June 18, 2024I started reading this on my Kindle but it keeps getting digitally buried and forgotten about, so I jumped at the chance to order a paperback copy for $1.
January 13, 2026
I appreciated this book as prayer material in little bits here and there. It definitely took me awhile. "There is no Saint who was not humble" - bang!
Read
May 28, 2018Lenten reading.
April 12, 2020
This was a very hard book. And I knew that it would be. Father Ripperger mentioned that you could read this book for about five minutes and feel boxed around the ears enough that you wouldn't need a long session with it.
So when I was in the midst of it, I had to walk away. I have no problem (ok, I have a problem, but I am willing to do it) with being humbled. But if it's just a hammering, without tools for climbing out the other side, it's just masochism.
Without clear designs on my part, I went on to read something else--purely because the libraries were all closing, and I was just reading what I happened to own. And I happened to stumble upon Dom Scupoli's work. I'd paid extra to get both his well known work Spiritual Combat and Treatise on Peace of Soul. When I got to the second and lesser known book, I understood better the tools for working on scruples. Once I finished that, I was able to return to Humility of Heart, and finish without further difficulty.
It's a wonderful book for what it is. But caution is definitely called for if the sin of scruples is a big part of a potential reader's life.
So when I was in the midst of it, I had to walk away. I have no problem (ok, I have a problem, but I am willing to do it) with being humbled. But if it's just a hammering, without tools for climbing out the other side, it's just masochism.
Without clear designs on my part, I went on to read something else--purely because the libraries were all closing, and I was just reading what I happened to own. And I happened to stumble upon Dom Scupoli's work. I'd paid extra to get both his well known work Spiritual Combat and Treatise on Peace of Soul. When I got to the second and lesser known book, I understood better the tools for working on scruples. Once I finished that, I was able to return to Humility of Heart, and finish without further difficulty.
It's a wonderful book for what it is. But caution is definitely called for if the sin of scruples is a big part of a potential reader's life.
December 30, 2015
Don't get me wrong - this is a good book. However, I admit that I had to force myself through it. It felt as if I would never finish, and though there were many points of practical help, it seemed the whole book was trying to convince me of the necessity of humility rather than teaching me to practice it. I already know that it's necessary! What I really wanted was thoughts that would help me to practice this virtue throughout my day. I did glean several jewels from the muddle, but it would take a more patient reader than myself to really appreciate this book. I got lost in the repetition.
April 14, 2022
If you need a primer on humility of heart without despair, this is truly the book for you. The introduction is fascinating how the book really gained fame. I only gave it four stars because the book in fairly dense. The second part is a primer really on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I really enjoyed reading this and especially I finished this book on Holy Thursday when our Lord out of the riches of His Heart instituted the Eucharist. I would recommend this book to anyone truly wanting to learn the way of the humble heart of our Savior.
November 9, 2018
This book is a must have for the Christian. Its not a one time read. Not that it's difficult to understand. No, it would have better if it had been difficult to understand. The problem is its simple to understand, but once you have internalised what you read, it's so difficult to implement. That's the way of humility. This is what makes the book a difficult read. It challenges the reader on every word, sentence and page.
The only good thing about this book :It Will save your soul. Read it!
The only good thing about this book :It Will save your soul. Read it!
December 31, 2024
If you’re looking to deepen your relationship with God, add this one to your reads. It will probably be an annual reread. This book gives great guidance on learning how to obtain the virtue of humility, which is the first and key virtue in obtaining the rest of them. Also, in ridding yourself of pride, and then ridding of the other vices. It’s not an easy road, but it’s the right road
May 16, 2019
I think I underlined the whole book! This was a very good and humbling read. I read it for Lent and I had to go overtime because with this one, you really have to read it slow to take it all in. At the end of the book there is an examination of humility. Again, very humbling!!
July 17, 2018
Sins of pride
So much truth in this book and truth is difficult to hear. It took me a long time to battle my prideful self through it.
So much truth in this book and truth is difficult to hear. It took me a long time to battle my prideful self through it.
May 20, 2026
This wonderful little book on the virtue of humility is a real gem that will help all Catholics who desire to make great strides in the spiritual life. Pride, as the Scriptures teach us, is the root of all evil. Unless we actively fight our pride and all its manifestations, we will not be saved.
The very first paragraph of the book summarizes its doctrine very well.
The author, Father Cajetan Maria da Bergamo, was an Italian Capuchin priest and preacher from the early 18th century. His book Humility of Heart is a summary of the Church's theology on the virtue of humility as well as a practical manual for how to identify and overcome pride in our own lives.
The text is divided into 153 numbered sections, with each one covering a particular point of doctrine or the spiritual life. What makes this book so helpful is that, although it is rich with doctrine, it is very well-written and accessible for the average person. It's perfect for meditation in front of the Blessed Sacrament or for morning mental prayer. I especially like the last three chapters of the book, which are practical examens on humility towards God, towards out neighbor, and towards ourselves. The final chapter is a brief summary of the moral theology of pride and its subsidiary vices.
Father Cajetan's writing is profound yet very accessible and full of good sense. He is always quoting Scripture to justify his statements along with quotes from the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, in particular Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Augustine, Saint Gregory the Great, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
He is also very balanced on the question of what pride and humility are. People today have the mistaken idea that humility consists in exagerrating our misery or affecting to be humble. Father Cajetan explains that these affectations are actually manifestations of self-love. The way we externally manifest our humility must not harm our state and condition in life. In a word, humility is truth, and lying about ourselves under the guise of humility is not true humility but pride.
He ends his book with this meditation:
The very first paragraph of the book summarizes its doctrine very well.
In Paradise there are many Saints who never gave alms on earth: their poverty justified them. There are many Saints who never mortified their bodies by fasting or wearing hair shirts: their bodily infirmities excused them. There are many Saints too who were not virgins: their vocation was otherwise. But in Paradise there is no Saint who was not humble.
The author, Father Cajetan Maria da Bergamo, was an Italian Capuchin priest and preacher from the early 18th century. His book Humility of Heart is a summary of the Church's theology on the virtue of humility as well as a practical manual for how to identify and overcome pride in our own lives.
The text is divided into 153 numbered sections, with each one covering a particular point of doctrine or the spiritual life. What makes this book so helpful is that, although it is rich with doctrine, it is very well-written and accessible for the average person. It's perfect for meditation in front of the Blessed Sacrament or for morning mental prayer. I especially like the last three chapters of the book, which are practical examens on humility towards God, towards out neighbor, and towards ourselves. The final chapter is a brief summary of the moral theology of pride and its subsidiary vices.
Father Cajetan's writing is profound yet very accessible and full of good sense. He is always quoting Scripture to justify his statements along with quotes from the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, in particular Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Augustine, Saint Gregory the Great, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
He is also very balanced on the question of what pride and humility are. People today have the mistaken idea that humility consists in exagerrating our misery or affecting to be humble. Father Cajetan explains that these affectations are actually manifestations of self-love. The way we externally manifest our humility must not harm our state and condition in life. In a word, humility is truth, and lying about ourselves under the guise of humility is not true humility but pride.
He ends his book with this meditation:
"And in order to give yourself courage, remember this, that before the tribunal of God, the proud will be condemned and only the humble can hope to find mercy. To say that we are humble is the same as to say that we are among the elect and shall be saved; and to say that we are proud is the same as to say we are reprobate."
December 20, 2022
A gift from a very good friend of mine! I had been reading books on humility, and speaking with my spiritual director on how to grow in humility, so it’s ironic that my friend sent me this book.
Pride is the masked killer of virtue, a deceiving virus, the puppet master of vice and sin, the infiltrator in every virtue you attempt to grow in. Pride is the sin that takes on many forms and masks its appearance, so it’s harder to detect within yourself. When you struggle against a vice you are attempting to overcome, pride is at the root of it. The only way to overcome the many forms of pride is through humility, but you know that already, don’t you? But what are the forms of pride? How is it at the root of every vice and sin? This book does a thorough explanation of the many forms of pride. Written a couple centuries ago - but still very relevant for today - the author references Sacred Scripture, Doctors of the Church, and saints to demonstrate how one should be in humility. Jesus taught us many things, but the only thing He specifically told us to learn from Him was humility (meek and humble of heart). In humility, you’ll overcome a multitude of sins.
Pride is the masked killer of virtue, a deceiving virus, the puppet master of vice and sin, the infiltrator in every virtue you attempt to grow in. Pride is the sin that takes on many forms and masks its appearance, so it’s harder to detect within yourself. When you struggle against a vice you are attempting to overcome, pride is at the root of it. The only way to overcome the many forms of pride is through humility, but you know that already, don’t you? But what are the forms of pride? How is it at the root of every vice and sin? This book does a thorough explanation of the many forms of pride. Written a couple centuries ago - but still very relevant for today - the author references Sacred Scripture, Doctors of the Church, and saints to demonstrate how one should be in humility. Jesus taught us many things, but the only thing He specifically told us to learn from Him was humility (meek and humble of heart). In humility, you’ll overcome a multitude of sins.
October 27, 2020
For anyone serious about chasing humility this could very well be the most impactful book you will ever read. Its not meant to be read quickly, but considered in small doses, in a prayerful reflective way. I used this book at Adoration over many months, it has helped me see all situations in a different light, most importantly my own poverty. The final chapters are a personal Examen specific to humility.
July 13, 2021
Great book for learning the importance of the virtue of humility and how to grow in it. Definitely a book to read and reread often. Fortunately it is separated in chunks 1/2 - 2 pages long, so a good book to read one short installment of each day to help always keep your mind, and heart, in the right place. ❤
March 23, 2024
This is an incredibly helpful guidebook, one I expect to reread often and carry with me much like Imitation of Christ. It has made me much more aware of how pride is lurking everywhere, and provides practical insights on conquering it. Removing pride makes room for charity, peace, and unity to flood in.
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