Humility of the Saints?

[PraiseChrist]

Humility is the most hated virtue by Satan. When I hear the saints speaking, in humility, about themselves, they say that they deserve hell. One example, was an excerpt from a prayer by St Alphonsus Liguori: “Lord, I thank Thee, for not having sent me to hell, as I deserved.” Humility is the truth about ourselves, and the truth about God.

Since there were canonized Saints, one being St Alphonsus Liguori, who never committed mortal sin, why did they deserve hell? Thank you very much

 

[BarbTh]

Humility is the most hated virtue by Satan. When I hear the saints speaking, in humility, about themselves, they say that they deserve hell. One example, was an excerpt from a prayer by St Alphonsus Liguori: “Lord, I thank Thee, for not having sent me to hell, as I deserved.” Humility is the truth about ourselves, and the truth about God.

Since there were canonized Saints, one being St Alphonsus Liguori, who never committed mortal sin, why did they deserve hell? Thank you very much

My take: I think our saints knew darkly & contemplatively something of the Glory of God and what exactly sin is (even the most minor venial sin and imperfection) in the Face of God’s Glory … they apprehended the vast distance and abyss in-between. They glimpsed as it were our true status as only dust and creatures and the Holiness and Dignity of God.

They understood contemplatively something of what The Love and Mercy of God is and were entirely humbled by this amazing and stunning Loving Merciful Face of Glory.

They contemplatively understood something of what they truly deserved were it not for God’s Love and Mercy.
For all the above reasons, it can seem to us that they do make negative exaggerated claims of their own spiritual status.
They do not due to rich dark contemplative knowledge.

“If we say that we have no sin,
we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (John 1:8)

“23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and all are justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23)

 

[pianistclare]

Humility is the most hated virtue by Satan. When I hear the saints speaking, in humility, about themselves, they say that they deserve hell. One example, was an excerpt from a prayer by St Alphonsus Liguori: “Lord, I thank Thee, for not having sent me to hell, as I deserved.” Humility is the truth about ourselves, and the truth about God.

Since there were canonized Saints, one being St Alphonsus Liguori, who never committed mortal sin, why did they deserve hell? Thank you very much

“Lord I am not worthy”

 

[BarbTh]

“Lord I am not worthy”

 

[Dorothy]

Humility is the most hated virtue by Satan. When I hear the saints speaking, in humility, about themselves, they say that they deserve hell. One example, was an excerpt from a prayer by St Alphonsus Liguori: “Lord, I thank Thee, for not having sent me to hell, as I deserved.” Humility is the truth about ourselves, and the truth about God.

Since there were canonized Saints, one being St Alphonsus Liguori, who never committed mortal sin, why did they deserve hell? Thank you very much

My thought is that as their prayer life deepened they became more aware of their fallen nature and how much we need the Lord’s grace to grow in virtue and be with Him forever.

 

[PraiseChrist]

I found another quote that relates to this:

“Saint Teresa, as the Roman Rota attests, never fell into any mortal sin; but still Our Lord showed her the place prepared for her in Hell; not because she deserved Hell, but because, had she not risen from the state of lukewarmness in which she lived, she would in the end have lost the grace of God and been damned.”
-Saint Alphonsus Maria Liguori, Doctor of the Church

I think this would apply to St Alphonsus as well, as well as to all saints who never committed mortal sin, since they were perhaps somewhat lukewarm in their younger years.
Saint Alphonsus’ confessor said clearly and confidently that St Alphonsus never committed mortal sin

Thanks for the response

 

[Mintaka]

Nobody “deserves” eternal life with God; it is a gift. And even venial sins are pretty bad, compared with being sinless.

This shouldn’t discourage us.

Instead, we should be glad that Jesus is so kind and generous to us, and that His Covenant includes us in His Body. Knowing that we do not deserve the gift should make us love Him more.

 

[PelagiathePenit]

Nobody “deserves” eternal life with God; it is a gift. And even venial sins are pretty bad, compared with being sinless.

This shouldn’t discourage us.

Instead, we should be glad that Jesus is so kind and generous to us, and that His Covenant includes us in His Body. Knowing that we do not deserve the gift should make us love Him more.

That is a better way of seeing it.