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| Two of the Sunset Saints at Saint Leo Abbey Saint Therese of Lisieux, France (2 January 1873 – 30 September 1897) and Saint Teresa of Avila, Spain (March 28, 1515 – October 4, 1582) [click picture to enlarge] |
Many monastics say that Chapter 7 On Humility is the central Rule's path to God.
The translation below is from the online Rule from Melk Abbey in Austria, Melk Abbey Ch.7.
Chapter 7 On Humility
Brethren, the Holy Scripture
crieth to us saying: "Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and
he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Lk 14:11; 18:14).
Since,
therefore, it saith this, it showeth us that every exaltation is a kind of
pride. The Prophet declareth that he guardeth himself against this, saying:
"Lord, my heart is not puffed up; nor are my eyes haughty. Neither have I
walked in great matters nor in wonderful things above me" (Ps 130[131]:1).
What then? "If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul; as a child
that is weaned is towards his mother so shalt Thou reward my soul" (Ps
130[131]:2).
Hence, brethren, if we wish to
reach the greatest height of humility, and speedily to arrive at that heavenly
exaltation to which ascent is made in the present life by humility, then,
mounting by our actions, we must erect the ladder which appeared to Jacob in his
dream, by means of which angels were shown to him ascending and descending (cf
Gen 28:12). Without a doubt, we understand this ascending and descending to be
nothing else but that we descend by pride and ascend by humility. The erected
ladder, however, is our life in the present world, which, if the heart is
humble, is by the Lord lifted up to heaven. For we say that our body and our
soul are the two sides of this ladder; and into these sides the divine calling
hath inserted various degrees of humility or discipline which we must mount.
The first degree of humility,
then, is that a man always have the fear of God before his eyes (cf Ps
35[36]:2), shunning all forgetfulness and that he be ever mindful of all that
God hath commanded, that he always considereth in his mind how those who despise
God will burn in hell for their sins, and that life everlasting is prepared for
those who fear God. And whilst he guardeth himself evermore against sin and
vices of thought, word, deed, and self-will, let him also hasten to cut off the
desires of the flesh.
Let a man consider that God always
seeth him from Heaven, that the eye of God beholdeth his works everywhere, and
that the angels report them to Him every hour. The Prophet telleth us this when
he showeth God thus ever present in our thoughts, saying: "The searcher of
hearts and reins is God" (Ps 7:10). And again: "The Lord knoweth the
thoughts of men" (Ps 93[94]:11) And he saith: "Thou hast understood my
thoughts afar off" (Ps 138[139]:3). And: "The thoughts of man shall
give praise to Thee" (Ps 75[76]:11). Therefore, in order that he may always
be on his guard against evil thoughts, let the humble brother always say in his
heart: "Then I shall be spotless before Him, if I shall keep myself from
iniquity" (Ps 17[18]:24).
We are thus forbidden to do our
own will, since the Scripture saith to us: "And turn away from thy evil
will" (Sir 18:30). And thus, too, we ask God in prayer that His will may be
done in us (cf Mt 6:10). We are, therefore, rightly taught not to do our own
will, when we guard against what Scripture saith: "There are ways that to
men seem right, the end whereof plungeth into the depths of hell" (Prov
16:25). And also when we are filled with dread at what is said of the negligent:
"They are corrupted and become abominable in their pleasure" (Ps
13[14]:1). But as regards desires of the flesh, let us believe that God is thus
ever present to us, since the Prophet saith to the Lord: "Before Thee is
all my desire" (Ps 37[38]:10).
We must, therefore, guard thus
against evil desires, because death hath his station near the entrance of
pleasure. Whence the Scripture commandeth, saying: "Go no after thy
lusts" (Sir 18:30). If, therefore, the eyes of the Lord observe the good
and the bad (cf Prov 15:3) and the Lord always looketh down from heaven on the
children of men, to see whether there be anyone that understandeth or seeketh
God (cf Ps 13[14]:2); and if our actions are reported to the Lord day and night
by the angels who are appointed to watch over us daily, we must ever be on our
guard, brethren, as the Prophet saith in the psalm, that God may at no time see
us "gone aside to evil and become unprofitable" (Ps 13[14]:3), and
having spared us in the present time, because He is kind and waiteth for us to
be changed for the better, say to us in the future: "These things thou hast
done and I was silent" (Ps 49[50]:21).
The second degree of humility is,
when a man loveth not his own will, nor is pleased to fulfill his own desires
but by his deeds carrieth our that word of the Lord which saith: "I came
not to do My own will but the will of Him that sent Me" (Jn 6:38). It is
likewise said: "Self-will hath its punishment, but necessity winneth the
crown."
The third degree of humility is,
that for the love of God a man subject himself to a Superior in all obedience,
imitating the Lord, of whom the Apostle saith: "He became obedient unto
death" (Phil 2:8).
The fourth degree of humility is,
that, if hard and distasteful things are commanded, nay, even though injuries
are inflicted, he accept them with patience and even temper, and not grow weary
or give up, but hold out, as the Scripture saith: "He that shall persevere
unto the end shall be saved" (Mt 10:22). And again: "Let thy heart
take courage, and wait thou for the Lord" (Ps 26[27]:14). And showing that
a faithful man ought even to bear every disagreeable thing for the Lord, it
saith in the person of the suffering: "For Thy sake we suffer death all the
day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter" (Rom 8:36; Ps
43[44]:22). And secure in the hope of the divine reward, they go on joyfully,
saying: "But in all these things we overcome because of Him that hath loved
us" (Rom 8:37). And likewise in another place the Scripture saith:
"Thou, O God, hast proved us; Thou hast tried us by fire as silver is
tried; Thou hast brought us into a net, Thou hast laid afflictions on our
back" (Ps 65[66]:10-11). And to show us that we ought to be under a
Superior, it continueth, saying: "Thou hast set men over our heads"
(Ps 65[66]:12). And fulfilling the command of the Lord by patience also in
adversities and injuries, when struck on the one cheek they turn also the other;
the despoiler of their coat they give their cloak also; and when forced to go
one mile they go two (cf Mt 5:39-41); with the Apostle Paul they bear with false
brethren and "bless those who curse them" (2 Cor 11:26; 1 Cor 4:12).
The fifth degree of humility is,
when one hideth from his Abbot none of the evil thoughts which rise in his heart
or the evils committed by him in secret, but humbly confesseth them. Concerning
this the Scripture exhorts us, saying: "Reveal thy way to the Lord and
trust in Him" (Ps 36[37]:5). And it saith further: "Confess to the
Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever" (Ps 105[106]:1; Ps
117[118]:1). And the Prophet likewise saith: "I have acknowledged my sin to
Thee and my injustice I have not concealed. I said I will confess against myself
my injustice to the Lord; and Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sins"
(Ps 31[32]:5).
The sixth degree of humility is,
when a monk is content with the meanest and worst of everything, and in all that
is enjoined him holdeth himself as a bad and worthless workman, saying with the
Prophet: "I am brought to nothing and I knew it not; I am become as a beast
before Thee, and I am always with Thee" (Ps 72[73]:22-23).
The seventh degree of humility is,
when, not only with his tongue he declareth, but also in his inmost soul
believeth, that he is the lowest and vilest of men, humbling himself and saying
with the Prophet: "But I am a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the
outcast of the people" (Ps 21[22]:7). "I have been exalted and humbled
and confounded" (Ps 87[88]:16). And also: "It is good for me that Thou
hast humbled me, that I may learn Thy commandments" (Ps 118[119]:71,73).
The eighth degree of humility is,
when a monk doeth nothing but what is sanctioned by the common rule of the
monastery and the example of his elders.
The ninth degree of humility is,
when a monk
withholdeth his tongue from speaking, and keeping silence doth not
speak until he is asked; for the Scripture showeth that "in a multitude of
words there shall not want sin" (Prov 10:19); and that "a man full of
tongue is not established in the earth" (Ps 139[140]:12).
The tenth degree of humility is,
when a monk is not easily moved and quick for laughter, for it is written:
"The fool exalteth his voice in laughter" (Sir 21:23).
The eleventh degree of humility
is, that, when a monk speaketh, he speak gently and without laughter, humbly and
with gravity, with few and sensible words, and that he be not loud of voice, as
it is written: "The wise man is known by the fewness of his words."
The twelfth degree of humility is,
when a monk is not only humble of heart, but always letteth it appear also in
his whole exterior to all that see him; namely, at the Work of God, in the
garden, on a journey, in the field, or wherever he may be, sitting, walking, or
standing, let him always have his head bowed down, his eyes fixed on the ground,
ever holding himself guilty of his sins, thinking that he is already standing
before the dread judgment seat of God, and always saying to himself in his heart
what the publican in the Gospel said, with his eyes fixed on the ground:
"Lord, I am a sinner and not worthy to lift up mine eyes to heaven"
(Lk 18:13); and again with the Prophet: "I am bowed down and humbled
exceedingly" (Ps 37[38]:7-9; Ps 118[119]:107).
Having, therefore, ascended all
these degrees of humility, the monk will presently arrive at that love of God,
which being perfect, casteth out fear (1 Jn 4:18). In virtue of this love all
things which at first he observed not without fear, he will now begin to keep
without any effort, and as it were, naturally by force of habit, no longer from
the fear of hell, but from the love of Christ, from the very habit of good and
the pleasure in virtue. May the Lord be pleased to manifest all this by His Holy
Spirit in His laborer now cleansed from vice and sin.
_____________________
QUESTIONS:
1. In Chapter 4 on the Instruments of Good Works, Saint Benedict says in paragraph (21) "Prefer nothing to the love of Christ." Why is the love of Christ so important?
2. In Chapter 43 on Those Who are Tardy in Coming to the Work of God or to Table, Saint Benedict says "let nothing be preferred to the Work of God." What is the relationship of humility to the Work of God"? -- the Liturgy, the Divine Office, the Liturgy of the Hours.
More on the Liturgy of the Hours:
The Liturgy of the Hours
For general resources see:
_____________________
QUESTIONS:
1. In Chapter 4 on the Instruments of Good Works, Saint Benedict says in paragraph (21) "Prefer nothing to the love of Christ." Why is the love of Christ so important?
2. In Chapter 43 on Those Who are Tardy in Coming to the Work of God or to Table, Saint Benedict says "let nothing be preferred to the Work of God." What is the relationship of humility to the Work of God"? -- the Liturgy, the Divine Office, the Liturgy of the Hours.
More on the Liturgy of the Hours:
The Liturgy of the Hours
For general resources see:
- Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.
- Note: Some of the sections in the link above are in Italian. But Google Translate does a great job, just cut and paste.
3. Extra Credit
Who are the two women Sunrise Saints at Saint Leo Abbey?
Who are the two women Sunrise Saints at Saint Leo Abbey?
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