# Humility ## Catechism of the Catholic Church The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good. Humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride, and provides the foundation for turning to God in prayer ([[4.1.0.0.p8z#^ccc-2559|2559]]). Voluntary humility can be described as "poverty of spirit" ([[3.2.2.10.p8w#^ccc-2546|2546]]). ## The Way of Perfection HUMILITY. It is not acquired by the intellect but by a clear perception that comprehends in a moment the truth about what a trifle we are and how very great God is ([[tj-way-ccel-32|32.13]]; [[tj-way-ccel-39|39.15]]). The Lord lowered himself to give us an example of humility ([[tj-way-ccel-12|12.6]]). One should always take the lowest place in conformity with the teaching and example of Christ ([[tj-way-ccel-17|17.1]]). We only imitate his humility in some way, however much we may lower ourselves; on account of one's sins one always deserves less ([[tj-way-ccel-13|13.3]]). Humility attracts the King from heaven as did that of the Blessed Virgin Mary ([[tj-way-ccel-16|16.2]]). The more humility, the more one possesses God; there is no love without humility nor detachment without these two ([[tj-way-ccel-16|16.2]]); the three bring inward and outward peace ([[tj-way-ccel-04|4.4]]). Humility comprises a great readiness to be content with whatever the Lord may want to do with us and finding ourselves unworthy to be called his servants ([[tj-way-ccel-17|17.6]]); is content with what is received ([[tj-way-ccel-18|18.6]]); but doesn't refuse the King's favors ([[tj-way-ccel-28|28.3]]). It is a measure of spiritual progress ([[tj-way-ccel-12|12.6]]). A wonderful way to imitate the Lord's humility is to be silent at seeing oneself condemned without fault ([[tj-way-ccel-15|15.1]],[[tj-way-ccel-15|2]]). There is more security in humility than in receiving spiritual delights ([[tj-way-ccel-17|17.4]]). Humility does not disturb or disquiet or agitate; it comes with peace, delight, and calm ([[tj-way-ccel-39|39.2]]). ## Divine Intimacy Meditations - Means of preparing in our hearts the way of the Lord: [[22-behold-the-savior-comes#Meditation 2|22,2]]; - necessity of — to overcome enticements to self-love [[62-jesus-and-the-glory-of-the-father#Meditation 2|62,2]]; - difficulty in obedience due to lack of —: [[125-difficulties-in-obedience#Meditation 2|125,2]]; - is difficult to humble oneself before one’s neighbor: [[377-visitation-of-bvm#Meditation 1|377,1]]; - in falls: [[101-venial-sin#Meditation 2|101,2]]; [[109-humility-in-our-falls#Meditation 1|109,1]], [[109-humility-in-our-falls#Meditation 2|109,2]]; [[193-conformity-with-christ#Meditation 2|193,2]]; [[210-merciful-love#Meditation 2|210,2]]; [[295-perseverance-and-confidence#Meditation 1|295,1]]; - —, sincere and trustful, is the remedy for every fall and misery: [[109-humility-in-our-falls#Meditation 2|109,2]]; [[210-merciful-love#Meditation 2|210,2]]; [[236-infinite-mercy#Meditation 2|236,2]]; [[249-boundless-hope#Meditation 2|249,2]]; - to humbly recognize one’s own faults without excusing them and to accept correction: [[118-not-excusing-oneself#Meditation 1|118,1]]; - the humble recognition of one’s misery draws down the mercy of God: [[236-infinite-mercy#Meditation 2|236,2]]; [[259-charity-and-humility#Meditation 2|259,2]]; - — in things poorly done pleases God more than pride in things well done [[259-charity-and-humility#Meditation 2|259,2]]; - to recognize our own miseries is the first step toward freeing ourselves from them: [[284-sincerity#Meditation 1|284,1]]; [[350-designs-of-peace-and-love#Meditation 1|350,1]]; - — is the foundation of our spiritual life: [[105-the-transfiguration#Meditation 1|105,1]]; [[316-our-meeting-with-the-holy-spirit#Meditation 1|316,1]]; - and of charity: [[106-humility#Meditation 1|106,1]]; [[259-charity-and-humility#Meditation 2|259,2]]; [[294-jesus-our-life#Meditation 1|294,1]]; - the more a soul humbles itself, so much the more will God fill it with grace and sanctify it: [[106-humility#Meditation 2|106,2]]; [[176-marys-humility#Meditation 2|176,2]]; [[242-the-obscure-light-of-faith#Meditation 2|242,2]]; [[259-charity-and-humility#Meditation 2|259,2]]; [[352-interior-trials#Meditation 2|352,2]]; - — gives us the capacity to receive gifts of God: [[106-humility#Meditation 2|106,2]]; - — is the virtue that makes us keep our place: [[107-our-place#Meditation 1|107,1]]; [[109-humility-in-our-falls#Meditation 2|109,2]]; - and which makes us take the lowest place: - [[113-the-lowest-place#Meditation 1|113,1]], [[113-the-lowest-place#Meditation 2|113,2]]; [[301-the-characteristics-of-a-christian#Meditation 2|301,2]]: - fruitfulness and riches of the interior life always in proportion to —: [[176-marys-humility#Meditation 2|176,2]]; - we are nothing and can do nothing without the help of God [[107-our-place#Meditation 1|107,1]], [[107-our-place#Meditation 2|107,2]]; [[240-divine-omnipotence#Meditation 2|240,2]]; [[307-blessed-are-the-merciful#Meditation 1|307,1]]; [[334-humility-in-the-apostolate#Meditation 1|334,1]], [[334-humility-in-the-apostolate#Meditation 2|334,2]]; - though doing all we can, we should not expect success from our works, but solely from the help of God [[240-divine-omnipotence#Meditation 2|240,2]]; - awareness of our insufficiency and impotence should keep us very humble: [[240-divine-omnipotence#Meditation 2|240,2]]; - deep — necessary for an apostle: [[334-humility-in-the-apostolate#Meditation 1|334,1]], [[334-humility-in-the-apostolate#Meditation 2|334,2]]; - Christian — does not depress, but lifts the soul to God: [[108-humility-and-confidence#Meditation 1|108,1]]; [[240-divine-omnipotence#Meditation 2|240,2]]; - relation between —and confidence: [[108-humility-and-confidence#Meditation 1|108,1]], [[108-humility-and-confidence#Meditation 2|108,2]]; - humble soul does not trust self, but only God: [[108-humility-and-confidence#Meditation 2|108,2]]; - true — does not disquiet, but false — does: [[109-humility-in-our-falls#Meditation 2|109,2]]; - lack of confidence in the mercy of God is not fruit of —: [[109-humility-in-our-falls#Meditation 2|109,2]]; - to acquire — necessary to accept humiliations [[110-humiliations#Meditation 1|110,1]]; - humble soul considers it just to be humiliated: [[110-humiliations#Meditation 1|110,1]]; - the more one strives for humiliations on his own initiative, the more he should accept those that come from others: [[110-humiliations#Meditation 2|110,2]]; - importance and practice of — of heart: [[111-humility-of-heart#Meditation 1|111,1]], [[111-humility-of-heart#Meditation 2|111,2]]; - — of heart is born of humble recognition of one’s own misery: [[111-humility-of-heart#Meditation 2|111,2]]; - practice of — in honors and posts of authority: [[111-humility-of-heart#Meditation 2|111,2]]; [[113-the-lowest-place#Meditation 2|113,2]]; [[176-marys-humility#Meditation 2|176,2]]; [[377-visitation-of-bvm#Meditation 1|377,1]]; - the humble soul conceals all that could draw the attention of others: [[114-the-hidden-life#Meditation 1|114,1]], [[114-the-hidden-life#Meditation 2|114,2]]; - it is great — to remain silent when unjustly accused [[118-not-excusing-oneself#Meditation 2|118,2]]; - attitude of — in contemplation: [[144-god-invites-all-souls#Meditation 1|144,1]]; [[145-our-preparation#Meditation 2|145,2]]; - practice of — in aridity: [[155-aridity-progress#Meditation 2|155,2]]; - — in prayer: [[175-efficacious-prayer#Meditation 2|175,2]]; - the higher the post one fills, the deeper should be —: [[176-marys-humility#Meditation 2|176,2]]; [[334-humility-in-the-apostolate#Meditation 1|334,1]], [[334-humility-in-the-apostolate#Meditation 2|334,2]]; - in gaining — the other virtues also gained: [[214-the-heart-of-jesus-our-model#Meditation 1|214,1]]; - the humble soul is grateful: [[283-gratitude#Meditation 2|283,2]]; - the humble soul is not pusillanimous, but magnanimous: [[289-magnanimity#Meditation 2|289,2]]; - Jesus the Model of —: [[111-humility-of-heart#Meditation 1|111,1]]; [[113-the-lowest-place#Meditation 1|113,1]]; [[114-the-hidden-life#Meditation 1|114,1]]; - for the followers of Jesus, the place of honor is the place of service: [[113-the-lowest-place#Meditation 2|113,2]]; - — leads to the imitation of the hidden life of Jesus: [[114-the-hidden-life#Meditation 1|114,1]]; - to imitate the silence of Jesus in the case of unjust accusations: [[118-not-excusing-oneself#Meditation 2|118,2]]; - to imitate the — of Mary: [[176-marys-humility#Meditation 1|176,1]], [[176-marys-humility#Meditation 2|176,2]]; [[377-visitation-of-bvm#Meditation 1|377,1]], [[377-visitation-of-bvm#Meditation 2|377,2]]; [[380-the-nativity-bvm#Meditation 2|380,2]]; - graces and divine favors should make us more humble [[176-marys-humility#Meditation 1|176,1]]; [[252-correspondence-with-grace#Meditation 1|252,1]]; - Jesus, the Gift of God, wishes — of heart: [[217-firm-confidence#Meditation 2|217,2]]; - God permits failures that the soul may be convinced of its insufficiency: [[217-firm-confidence#Meditation 2|217,2]]; - God permits falls that the soul may be persuaded of its misery: [[295-perseverance-and-confidence#Meditation 1|295,1]]; [[307-blessed-are-the-merciful#Meditation 2|307,2]]; - the Holy Spirit illumines the soul on its own misery: [[307-blessed-are-the-merciful#Meditation 2|307,2]]; [[352-interior-trials#Meditation 1|352,1]], [[352-interior-trials#Meditation 2|352,2]]; [[359-humble-and-reverent-love#Meditation 2|359,2]]; - by means of the night of the spirit, God Himself undertakes to humble the soul: [[352-interior-trials#Meditation 2|352,2]]; - deep — that the soul attains in this night: [[359-humble-and-reverent-love#Meditation 2|359,2]]. - [[22-behold-the-savior-comes|22. Behold the Savior Comes]] - [[62-jesus-and-the-glory-of-the-father|62. Jesus and the Glory of the Father]] - [[101-venial-sin|101. Venial Sin]] - [[105-the-transfiguration|105. The Transfiguration]] - [[106-humility|106. Humility]] - [[107-our-place|107. Our place]] - [[108-humility-and-confidence|108. Humility and Confidence]] - [[109-humility-in-our-falls|109. Humility in Our Falls]] - [[110-humiliations|110. Humiliations]] - [[111-humility-of-heart|111. Humility of Heart]] - [[113-the-lowest-place|113. The Lowest place]] - [[114-the-hidden-life|114. The Hidden Life]] - [[118-not-excusing-oneself|118. Not Excusing Oneself]] - [[125-difficulties-in-obedience|125. Difficulties in Obedience]] - [[144-god-invites-all-souls|144. God Invites All Souls]] - [[145-our-preparation|145. Our Preparation]] - [[155-aridity-progress|155. Aridity and Progress]] - [[175-efficacious-prayer|175. Efficacious Prayer]] - [[176-marys-humility|176. Mary’s Humility]] - [[193-conformity-with-christ|193. Conformity with Christ through the Action of the Holy Spirit]] - [[210-merciful-love|210. Merciful Love]] - [[214-the-heart-of-jesus-our-model|214. The Heart of Jesus Our Model]] - [[217-firm-confidence|217. Firm Confidence]] - [[236-infinite-mercy|236. Infinite Mercy]] - [[240-divine-omnipotence|240. Divine Omnipotence]] - [[242-the-obscure-light-of-faith|242. The Obscure Light of Faith]] - [[249-boundless-hope|249. Boundless Hope]] - [[252-correspondence-with-grace|252. Correspondence With Grace]] - [[259-charity-and-humility|259. Charity and Humility]] - [[283-gratitude|283. Gratitude]] - [[284-sincerity|284. Sincerity]] - [[289-magnanimity|289. Magnanimity]] - [[294-jesus-our-life|294. Jesus Our Life]] - [[295-perseverance-and-confidence|295. Perseverance and Confidence]] - [[301-the-characteristics-of-a-christian|301. The Characteristics of a Christian]] - [[307-blessed-are-the-merciful|307. Blessed Are the Merciful]] - [[316-our-meeting-with-the-holy-spirit|316. Our Meeting With The Holy Spirit]] - [[334-humility-in-the-apostolate|334. Humility in the apostolate]] - [[350-designs-of-peace-and-love|350. Designs of Peace and Love]] - [[352-interior-trials|352. Interior Trials]] - [[359-humble-and-reverent-love|359. Humble and Reverent Love]] - [[377-visitation-of-bvm|377.]] - [[380-the-nativity-bvm|380. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary]]