‘Oh! how dear and precious is humility in the sight of God!
When a truly humble soul does any good,
-she recalls quickly the source whence it proceeds,
-acknowledging that she can do nothing without the assistance of God,
– and only attributes to herself what is evil in all her works.
I tremble, when I think how artfully pride penetrates into the heart of man.
They may be truly called unfortunate who are honoured, and with whom everything succeeds;
-even the most holy are in danger of being lost by it;
happy, on the contrary, are they
-who combat against temptation,
– who struggle against sadness,
– and who walk in the midst of afflictions;
for when God is willing to give His servants a sure means of acquiring humility, He conducts them by the path of suffering, and especially of temptation.
After which He communicates to them great lights, with a practical knowledge of their nothingness, whereby they acquire a great experience, and a special aid to divest themselves of all self-esteem, and truly to despise themselves.
It is not only humility of the understanding, it is still more that of the heart which Jesus Christ counsels us to acquire, so that it should be imprinted in the depths of the soul.
He who is truly humble experiences joy in the midst of affronts, because he clearly sees that contempt is his due.’
Wisdom and prayers of saints 