“HUMILITY IS A GRACE IN THE SOUL.”

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

“HUMILITY IS A GRACE IN THE SOUL.”

“Humility is a grace in the soul” writes Saint John Climacus…As soon as the cluster of holy humility begins to flower within us, we come, after hard work, to hate all earthly praise and glory. We rid ourselves of rage and fury; and the more this queen of virtues spreads WITHIN OUR SOULS THROUGH SPIRITUAL GROWTH, THE MORE WE BEGIN TO REGARD ALL OUR GOOD DEEDS AS OF NO CONSEQUENCE…”.

“Humility,” Saint John says, “is a spiritual teaching of Christ led spiritually like a bride into the inner-chamber of the soul of those deemed worthy of it, and it somehow eludes all description.

A man says that he is experiencing the full fragrance of this myrrh within him. Someone happens to praise him, and if he feels the slightest stir of the heart or if he grasps the full import of what is being said, then he is certainly mistaken, and let him have no illusion about that fact. “Not to us, not to us, but to Your Name, O Lord, give glory” [Psalm 113:9]. I once heard a man say this with total sincerity. He was a man who well understood that human nature is such that it cannot remain unharmed by praise. “My praise shall be from You in the great assembly, Lord” [Psalm 21:26], that is, IN THE LIFE TO COME, and I cannot accept it before that without risk to myself…

“…Better to offend man than God. For God is delighted when He sees us courting dishonor for the purpose of crushing, striking, and destroying our EMPTY SELF-ESTEEM. And virtue of this sort comes only from a complete abandonment of the world and only the really great can endure the derision of their own folk. This should not surprise you. The fact is that no one can climb a ladder in a single stride. And in this matter it is not on account of the devils subjected to us that men will recognize us as disciples of God, but because OUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN THE HEAVEN OF HUMILITY [cf. Luke 10:30].

A lemon tree naturally lifts its branches upwards when it has no fruit. The more its branches bend, THE MORE FRUIT YOU WILL FIND THERE. The meaning of this will be clear to the man disposed to understand it. Holy humility from God the power to yield fruit thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. The DISPASSIONATE attain that last degree, the courageous the middle, and everyone can rise to the first. The man who has come to know himself is never fooled into reaching for what is beyond him. He keeps his feet henceforth on the blessed path of humility.

Many have attained salvation without the aid of prophecies, illumination, signs and wonders. BUT WITHOUT HUMILITY NO ONE WILL ENTER THE MARRIAGE CHAMBER, FOR HUMILITY IS THE GUARDIAN OF SUCH GIFTS. WITHOUT IT, THEY WILL BRING DISASTER ON THE FRIVOLOUS…The man who asks God for less than he deserves will certainly receive more, as is shown by the Publican who begged forgiveness but obtained salvation [cf. Luke 18:10-14]. And the robber asked only to be remembered in the Kingdom, yet he inherited all of Paradise [cf. Luke 23-43].

In the created world fire cannot naturally be both small and great at one and the same time. HUMILITY CANNOT BE GENUINE AND AT ONE AND THE SAME TIME HAVE A WORLDLY STRAIN. GENUINE HUMILITY IS NOT IN US IF WE FALL INTO VOLUNTARY SIN, AND THIS IS THE SIGN THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MATERIAL STILL WITHIN US.

The Lord understood that THE VIRTUE OF THE SOUL IS SHAPED BY OUR OUTWARD BEHAVIOR. He therefore took a towel and showed us how to walk the road of humility [cf. John 13:4]. The soul indeed is molded by the doings of the body, conforming to and taking shape from what it does. To one of the Angels it was the fact of being a ruler that led to pride, though it was not for this reason that the prerogative was originally granted to him…if pride turned some of the Angels into demons, then HUMILITY CAN DOUBTLESS MAKE ANGELS OUT OF DEMONS. So take heart, all you sinners.

Let us strive with all our might to reach that summit of humility or let us at least climb onto her shoulders. And if this is too much for us, let us at least not tumble out of her arms, since after such a tumble a man will scarcely receive any kind of everlasting gift. Humility has its signs. It also has it sinews and its ways, and these are as follows–poverty, withdrawal from the world, the concealment of one’s wisdom, simplicity of speech, the seeking of alms, the disguising of one’s nobility, the exclusion of free and easy relationships, the banishment of idle talk…

“…If you wish to fight against passion, take humility as your ally, for she will tread on the asp and the basilisk of sin and despair, and she will trample under foot the lion and the serpent of physical devilshiness and cunning [cf. Psalm 90:13]. HUMILITY IS A HEAVENLY WATERSPOUT WHICH CAN LIFT THE SOUL FROM THE ABYSS UP TO HEAVEN’S HEIGHT. Someone discovered in his heart how beautiful humility is, and in his amazement he asked her to reveal her parent’s name. Humility smiled, joyous and serene: “Why are you in such a rush to learn the name of my begetter? He has no name, nor will I reveal him to you until you have God for your possession. To Whom be glory forever.” Amen.

The sea is the source of the fountain, and HUMILITY IS THE SOURCE OF DISCERNMENT.” [Source: The Ladder of Divine Ascent]

___________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George