Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo reflects on humility as the foundation for true contrition, grace, and eternal happiness. Pride brings fleeting gain and lasting regret, while humility opens the soul to God’s mercy and the lasting glory of the saints. By recognizing and embracing this virtue, we learn to love what is truly good.
First
Many people, when preparing for Confession, distress themselves because they do not feel sufficient contrition for their sins; and in order to obtain it, they beat their breasts to try to excite themselves to feelings of sorrow. But this is pride, for they give us to understand that they can thus obtain contrition of themselves. You desire true sorrow for your sins? Then be assured that this is a singular gift of God, and that to obtain it, there is no better means than to humble oneself before Him.
Humility generates confidence, and God never refuses His grace to those who come to Him with humility and trust. Say therefore to God: “I can remain here as long as I like and do all that I can to obtain sorrow for my sins, but it is impossible for me to attain to it of myself, if Thou dost not grant it to me, O my God! I do not deserve it, but Jesus Christ has merited it for me, and it is through His merits that I ask it, and through Thine infinite goodness that I hope to obtain it.”
Place yourself in this humble disposition of mind and you will be happy, for it is written of God that He “comforteth the humble,” (2 Cor. 7:6), and “He hath had regard to the prayer of the humble, and he hath not despised their petition.” (Ps. 101:18). This sorrow or contrition by which the soul is sanctified is one of the greatest graces that God can give us, and it would be presumption, temerity, and pride on our part to pretend to this grace without having asked for it with due humility.
Second
A doubt may arise in our mind—that, since to obtain the grace of humility, we must ask it of God, and ask it with humility if we wish God to hear our prayer—how can we possibly ask with humility, since it is precisely that humility which we have not and for which we are asking? Let us not lose ourselves in such speculations, which are useless in practice, since simplicity of heart is what the Lord desires of us. (Wis. 1:1).
Third
Let us listen at the gates of Hell and hear the lamentations of the eternally damned. They exclaim: “What hath pride profited us?” (Wis. 5:8). What use or advantage was our pride to us? Everything passes and vanishes like a shadow, and of all those past evils nothing remains to us but the eternal shame of having been proud.
Their remorse is vain, because it is the remorse of despair. Therefore, while there is still time, let us consider the matter seriously and say: “What advantage have I derived from all my pride? It makes me hateful to Heaven and earth, and if I do not insist upon mortifying it, it will make me odious to myself for all eternity in Hell.” Let us lift up our eyes to Heaven and, contemplating the Saints, exclaim: “Behold how their humility has profited them! Oh, how much glory have they gained by their humility!” Now humility is looked upon as madness by the worldly—worthy only of scorn and derision. But a time will come when they will be obliged to recognize its virtue and to exclaim, in seeing the glory of the humble: “Behold how they are numbered among the children of God.” (Wis. 5:5).
Fourth
The more we reflect upon this great virtue of humility, the more we should learn to love and honor it. It is natural to the soul to love a good which it recognizes as such, and there is no doubt that we shall love humility when we recognize its intrinsic value and the good that comes of it. Our love of what is good is measured by our knowledge of it, and in the same measure that we love, we desire to obtain it; and in the measure that we desire it, we embrace the most proper and efficacious means of acquiring it.
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This article is taken from a chapter in Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo which is available from TAN Books.
