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Living in Humility
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Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
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Bernard of Clairvaux, on being asked about the four cardinal virtues, is said to have replied emphatically that they are, "Humility, humility, humility, and humility." In our present day, with "a lot of anger, on all sides and in the middle," as Fr. Michael's Opening Mass homily laments, it is good to ask how we might regain an authentic sense of this core Benedictine virtue. Saint Benedict's "Twelve-Step Program" in the seventh chapter of the Rule offers a challenging road map, though no more challenging than Christ's directive to "take up our cross and follow." Yet, despite such challenges, the discovery of humility may indeed be a remedy for our present turmoil, carrying along with it that core Benedictine motto: Pax. In hope that the search for humility, even to the point of a cross, may also be the search for peace, this month's column on Benedictine Wisdom presents several writers' thoughts on this pivotal virtue.
Saint Augustine had already similarly argued: “I wish you to submit with complete devotion, and to construct no other way for yourself of grasping and holding the truth than the way constructed by Him who, as God, saw how faltering were our steps. This way is first humility, second humility, third humility, and however often you should ask me I would say the same, not because there are not other precepts to be explained, but, if humility does not precede and accompany and follow every good work we do, and if it is not set before us to look upon, and beside us to lean upon, and behind us to fence us in, pride will wrest from our hand any good deed we do while we are in the very act of taking pleasure in it.” (Letter to Dioscorus)
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"Humility sees the divine in everything." (Columba Marmion)
Our present health crisis, expanding around the globe and extending month after month, has re-acquainted us with our limitations, or perhaps made us aware of limitations we never realized we have. But our Biblical wisdom tradition, echoed across centuries of Benedictine life, has constantly reminded us of such realities. Whether we re-read Ecclesiastes, or return to Job, or pay attention yet again to the psalms that saturate the Divine Office, we cannot escape iterations of testimony about the God that we cannot escape, about the fultiliy of attempting to impose our own will upon reality. These scriptural insights work their way into Benedict's Chapter Seven, conveyed from its opening line: The Divine Scripture calls to us, brothers, saying: "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." Perhaps there is no better spiritual reading with which to confront our pandemic experience than Chapter Seven of the Rule. And through its call to perseverance, to obedience, to the giving up of one's will, we see there is no easy path to its ultimate assertions: "Now, therefore, after ascending all these steps of humility, the monk will quickly reach that perfect love of God which casts out fear: And all that he once performed with dread, he will now begin to observe without effort, as though naturally, from habit, Not anymore for fear of hell, but out of love for Christ, good habit and the taste of virtue." Undertaking the tasks that our present day has made so much more difficult to accomplish, we need to obtain yet again the grace to be able to carry such a hope, to discern such a transformation at work within us. Thus might we be led to a profound realization of Marmion's claim: humility sees the divine in everything. In light of such a hope, we provide below several selections that call to mind some of the basics of humility.
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From Thomas Merton:
“It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is the beginning of blessedness and the consummation of humility is the perfection of all joy. Humility contains in itself the answer to all the great problems of the life of the soul. It is the only key to faith, with which the spiritual life begins: for faith and humility are inseparable. In perfect humility all selfishness disappears and your soul no longer lives for itself or in itself for God: and it is lost and submerged in Him and transformed into Him.” (Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation)
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Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, in its listing of “The Ten Hallmarks of Benedictine Education,” explains the role of humility as a type of wisdom: “Humility is Benedict's word for wisdom. He begins his extended description of the twelve degrees of humility with awe at the abiding presence of God and ends with the love that casts out fear (RB 7). Benedictine humility accepts the reality of the day-to-day world – nature, events, other people – and our true place within it. This practical realism demands honesty and accountability of everyone in a Benedictine house. Each monastic seeks to acknowledge his or her faults and weaknesses. Each strives to recognize their own gifts and the gifts of others with gratitude, seeking to contribute as much as possible to the good of the whole and accepting the care of others. This down-to-earth ethos should inform the pursuits of students, faculty and staff in Benedictine educational institutions. We admit that none of us can learn on our own what we most need to know or bring to completion what most needs to be done. It is our intent that individuals discover what they are good at doing and what they need others' help to achieve. Rather than fostering competition for status and eminence, we strive to engage the insights and expertise of a wide variety of persons in our collective purpose. We seek to call to account any community members who diminish the esteem of others.”
(from Benedictine University)
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Fr. Julian Stead
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Our own Father Julian Stead wrote in 2017: "Surely authors can manipulate their readers with other emotions than anger - with sympathy, for intance, or love. However, if I have understood the article, "Who Let the Trolls Out?" in the July issue of "Living City," the conscientious reader needs to beware against distortions of the truth. I must admit that for my health's sake, I avoid the daily news on TV because it only seems to spread depression. The first word of Saint Benedict's Holy Rule is: "Listen with love, my son." He extolled the virtue of humility: it is like a strong floor off which one bounces a reply like a basketball to one's fellow player. I could also relate to the life of Fr. Robert Dunn who like me is confined to a nursing home. The answer to the question of what to do on our pilgrimage is very simple, "do God's will." I will give all my attention to the present moment, it is what God is creating, seize it before it is gone. Another way of putting it is "love." ("Living City")
In 2007, when interviewed with Madeline Nugent about the book the two co-authored (Love-Ability: Becoming Lovable by Caring for Yourself and Others (New City Press, 2007)), Fr. Julian noted with a direct and simply stated wisdom: “If you want to put others first (a trait that will help you become more lovable), you must learn how to put yourself last, something everyone needs to practice.... Self-centered attitudes not only alienate people, but they also prevent union with God. God is love, and love directs itself to the other... People need to love their neighbor... They should not see them as a threat.”
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This straightforward devotion to humility is expressed simply and directly by adherents to Benedict's Rule everywhere. Sister Mary Core, of the Benedictine Sisters of Rock Island, Illinois: : “Basically, the Rule tells us to love not our own will... We must be willing to divest ourselves of whatever it is that keeps us from getting closer to God. Love of our possessions and righteousness, love of our position and desires. In other words, love of our false self. Instead, in his twelve steps, St. Benedict tells us to be conscious of other people’s needs, and to hasten to help one another. He tells us to listen, and to hold our tongues. Healthy community requires an awareness of others that is based on this practice. It requires us to be more aware of other people and less focused on ourselves.” Sr. Marilyn Hettinger of her community agrees, saying humility is an “attitude, receptivity and openness to be acted upon by God; a willingness to let God transform us and let God work through our weakness.” (see the convent's website)
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Our own monastery would be remiss to not mention our own patron, Gregory the Great, in this calling to mind of the Benedictine teaching of humility. Pope Benedict said of Gregory, to whom is credited the papal designation as "the servant of the servants of God": "In his heart, Gregory continued to be a simple monk and for that reason opposed the use of grand titles. He wished to be 'servus servorum Dei' (servant of the servants of God)... Intimately inspired by the humility of God Who in Christ became our servant, ... he was convinced that a bishop must imitate such humility... Pope Gregory defended the prerogatives of the See of Rome, but with humility as the servant of the servants of God, and respected the rights of other Pastors, especially the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria." (Image: Gregory with his parents)
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Rather than presenting any treatise or homily, perhaps this one story of Gregory captures enough of his embracing of humility. It is from The Spiritual Meadow of John Moschos (Cistercian Publications, p. 124), a sixth century Byzantine abbot. It presents nothing miraculous, nothing legendary, nothing theological - but rather tells of a credible and simple interpersonal encounter.
We encountered Abba John the Persian at the Lavra of Monidia and he told us this about Gregory the Great, the most blessed Bishop of Rome: "I went to Rome to pray at the tombs of the most blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul. One day as I was standing in the city-centre I saw that Pope Gregory was going to pass by. I had it in mind to prostrate myself before him. The attendants of the pope began saying to me, one by one, 'Abba, do not prostrate yourself,' but I could not understand why they had said that to me; certainly it seemed improper for me not to prostrate myself. When the pope came near and perceived that I was about to prostrate myself - the Lord is my witness brethren - he prostrated himself down to the ground and refused to rise until I had got up. He embraced me with great humility, handed me three pieces of gold and ordered me to be given a monastic cloak, stipulating that all my needs were to be taken care of. So I glorified God who had given him such humility towards everybody, such generosity with alms, and such love."
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