Thought for the Day – 29 July – Models of Humility: The Saints

Thought for the Day – 29 July – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

HUMILITY
Meditations for a Month

Models of Humility:
The Saints

Some Saints excelled in one virtue, some in another but all were pre-eminent in humility.
The heroes of the Church of God, whether under the Old or the New Dispensation, were marked off from the heroes of paganism by their humility. Thus, Abraham described himself as dust and ashes. Job, in the presence of God, expressed his abhorrence of himself. David, when visited by the Hand of God, thanks Him for having humbled him. Daniel declares that to him belongs shame and confusion of face.
If, even without the example of Jesus and Mary before them, these Saints were so humble, what ought you to be? !

The Saints of the New Testament are still more conspicuous for their humility. Saint Paul believed and declared himself to be the chief of sinners. Saint Bernard expressed his astonishment that God should work miracles by the hands of one so vile as he. Saint Dominic, before entering a City, used to pray that he might not bring down judgements upon it for his sins.
Saint Philip Neri used to invent ingenious methods of drawing down ridicule upon himself!
Saint Francis Borgia, when someone by accident, spat in his face, merely remarked that he could not have found a more suitable place to spit upon.
Compare the humility of these saints with your pride and humble yourself before God.

The Saints were not exaggerated in their sentiments. They said, with truth that, if God had given to the greatest of sinners the graces given to them, they might perhaps have been far holier than they.
Think of the graces given you. How often you have abused and rejected them!
If the Saints could lament over graces lost, how ought you to humble yourself for your ingratitude?