What is a great way to stay and remain humble no matter what?

[Paris_Blues]

I know pride is EXTREMELY hard and IMPOSSIBLE to overcome it seems like. Heck, we seem to have a kind of pride even if it’s not evil pride!

How?

 

[KatarinaTherese]

I don’t have much help to offer (never having become and kept humble no matter what), except I find that reading a little bit of Story of a Soul by St. Therese works for me.

 

[Pentecost2005]

I’m sure you can find someone in your area who is well known for their humility. Surely they would be happy to share their secrets.

 

[Fidelis]

Let the Saints show you the way:

The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience, which comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all. --St. Benedict

Humility is the mother of many virtues because from it obedience, fear, reverence, patience, modesty, meekness and peace are born. He who is humble easily obeys everyone, fears to offend anyone, is at peace with everyone, is kind with all. --St. Thomas of Villanova

Debasing oneself when one is forced to do so is not humility; humility is present when one debases oneself without being obliged to do so --St. John Chrysostom

The humble man is not cast down by the censures or the slights of others. If he has unconsciously given occasion for them, he amends the faults; if he deserves them not, he treats them as trifles. --Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

As He did with the first twelve, so also, with us, our Lord can and does whisper in our ear, time and again: `exemplum dedi vobis’ (John13:15), I have given you an example of humility. I have become a slave, so that you too may learn to serve all men with a meek and humble heart.
–St Josemaria Escriva

Our happiest times are those in which we forget ourselves, usually in being kind to someone else. That tiny moment of self-abdication is an act of true humility: the man who loses himself finds himself and finds his happiness. – Fulton Sheen

Humility was extolled by Christ; and surely in this Sacrament [the Eucharist] He preaches an unrivaled humility, which disdains no dwelling, but consents to come like a guest to any heart, even one that is defiled. -St. Thomas Aquinas

 

[Jenlyn]

I started saying this a while ago. It really helped me. Memorizing it would be ideal so those phrases pop into your head when you are tempted.

LITANY OF HUMILITY

(accustomed to be said after celebration of Mass,
by Merry Cardinal del Val, secretary of state to
Pope Saint Pius X)

(for private use only)

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

 

[AquinasXVI]

Watch the Passion of the Christ and chisel the scenes in your brain. After I saw it, it changed the way I pray the Sorrowful Mystery. Anytime we feel entitled, these scenes bring it back to reality.

in XT.

 

[LSK]

I have been taught that true humility is an honest acknowledgement of who, what and where I am in my spiritual development set against the goal of holiness and saintliness.

In otherwords, knowing there is a long way for me to go to achieve holiness and saintliness and being willing to keep trudging …

 

[YinYangMom]

Always keeping in the forefront of your mind that you are nothing without God.

You don’t exist without God.
You don’t breathe without God.
You don’t have skills/talents without God.
You don’t have thoughts without God.
You don’t have emotions without God.
You don’t have reason without God.

Everything you are…
Everything you do…
comes from and belongs to God.

It’s difficult to be proud about things you don’t have.
Since you have nothing,
but have been given everything,
all pride and honor for what you’ve been given belongs to God.

Remember that while on this earth we are stewards over everything God has given us, including our bodies, our minds and our souls. The goal is to take such good care of them that our souls can be united with God when we leave this world.

 

[Flopfoot]

The sin of pride is when you take credit for something when the credit really should go to God.

What some people call ‘pride’ could really be called self esteem and is a good thing rather than a bad thing. No one should hate themselves and always be putting themselves down. They should recognise their good qualities and recognise that they are capable of doing good, and they should be pleased about when they do good. Don’t worry about that kind of ‘pride’.

But yea, in light of what pride is, to avoid this (ie, to be humble), one needs to always acknowledge God’s part in everything. Thank God always, for His guidance, for His assistance, for His love, for the things that He has made and does. Like St. John the Baptist said, “He must increase as I decrease” (or something like that). Always be ready to praise God.

 

[Fidelis]

Some advice from Thomas a’ Kempis in his classic “Imitation of Christ:”

HAVING A HUMBLE OPINION OF SELF

EVERY man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men.

If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?

Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.

Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.

The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?

If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.

 

[Fidelis]

More from Thomas a’ Kempis:

HUMILITY

BE NOT troubled about those who are with you or against you, but take care that God be with you in everything you do. Keep your conscience clear and God will protect you, for the malice of man cannot harm one whom God wishes to help. If you know how to suffer in silence, you will undoubtedly experience God’s help. He knows when and how to deliver you; therefore, place yourself in His hands, for it is a divine prerogative to help men and free them from all distress.

It is often good for us to have others know our faults and rebuke them, for it gives us greater humility. When a man humbles himself because of his faults, he easily placates those about him and readily appeases those who are angry with him.

It is the humble man whom God protects and liberates; it is the humble whom He loves and consoles. To the humble He turns and upon them bestows great grace, that after their humiliation He may raise them up to glory. He reveals His secrets to the humble, and with kind invitation bids them come to Him. Thus, the humble man enjoys peace in the midst of many vexations, because his trust is in God, not in the world. Hence, you must not think that you have made any progress until you look upon yourself as inferior to all others.

 

[Lexee15]

Jenlyn:

I started saying this a while ago. It really helped me. Memorizing it would be ideal so those phrases pop into your head when you are tempted.

LITANY OF HUMILITY

(accustomed to be said after celebration of Mass,
by Merry Cardinal del Val, secretary of state to
Pope Saint Pius X)

(for private use only)

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

I really love this, I had never heard of it, now here’s my dillema. After reading this litany I feel like I’m not being humble in my situation. For anyone who hasn’t read my threads I’m struggeling with a very, very unfaithful husband…mutltiple affairs and on top of that he’s addicted to gambling and alcohol. Being pregnant I’ve pretty much decided to end the marriage and seek an annullment after the baby is born. Reading this makes me feel weak, not humble because I’m looking to make my life easier by not dealing with his crud. I’m seeking respect in my marriage…if I follow this then I shouldn’t be seeking respect and I shouldn’t be worried about being made a fool of, etc. What does a person in my situation do? I want to be humble and do His will but it seems as though seeking my peace, tranquility and happiness away from my husband is being prideful…I’m so confused :whacky:.

 

[Catherine_Grant]

The OP might also be interested in this recent Spirituality discussion: Developing Charity

Lexee might be interested in the following threads:

Did I sin by separating from my alcoholic husband?

Should I persevere with my marriage or separate?

All might be interested in our Prayer Requests thread.

Please remember to keep conversations germane to the Spirituality forum.

 

[Jenlyn]

Lexee,
I’m so sorry about your current situation. When I posted that, I did because you asked about pride. In order combat pride humilty is the counter to that.

Does that mean that you have to stay married to your husband? Is that showing true humility? I cannot answer those questions for you. I suggest talking to your priest. He should be able to seperate humility and your husband for you.

May Lord guide and help you in following Him as a servant of God. Amen.

 

[thistle]

Jenlyn:

I started saying this a while ago. It really helped me. Memorizing it would be ideal so those phrases pop into your head when you are tempted.

LITANY OF HUMILITY

(accustomed to be said after celebration of Mass,
by Merry Cardinal del Val, secretary of state to
Pope Saint Pius X)

(for private use only)

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

This helped me too. I say it every morning before I have breakfast.

 

[Paris_Blues]

Flopfoot:

The sin of pride is when you take credit for something when the credit really should go to God.

What some people call ‘pride’ could really be called self esteem and is a good thing rather than a bad thing. No one should hate themselves and always be putting themselves down. They should recognise their good qualities and recognise that they are capable of doing good, and they should be pleased about when they do good. Don’t worry about that kind of ‘pride’.

But yea, in light of what pride is, to avoid this (ie, to be humble), one needs to always acknowledge God’s part in everything. Thank God always, for His guidance, for His assistance, for His love, for the things that He has made and does. Like St. John the Baptist said, “He must increase as I decrease” (or something like that). Always be ready to praise God.

So basically you’re depending on God in EVERYTHING???

 

[kayla]

Humble yourself before the Blessed Sacrament and ask our Blessed Lady to pray for you that you may follow in our Lords footsteps.
Volunteer your time to work with the homeless and hungry, it will humble yourself beyond belief.:yup:

 

[Jenlyn]

Parisblue,
We are to depend on God for everything. For everything comes through Him alone.

But yea, in light of what pride is, to avoid this (ie, to be humble), one needs to always acknowledge God’s part in everything. Thank God always, for His guidance, for His assistance, for His love, for the things that He has made and does. Like St. John the Baptist said, “He must increase as I decrease” (or something like that). Always be ready to praise God.

I think what Flopfoot was saying is that we are to acknowledge the fact that everything comes from Him and we need to thank Him for it. From always recognizing this we learn humility. It’s not because we did it but because God gave us the grace to do it.

 

[Paris_Blues]

Jenlyn:

I think what Flopfoot was saying is that we are to acknowledge the fact that everything comes from Him and we need to thank Him for it. From always recognizing this we learn humility. It’s not because we did it but because God gave us the grace to do it.

Like I drew a beautiful illustration of one of the Mysteries of the Rosary one time, I could not believe how good it looks. It is only the grace of God that gave me the talent to make it look that good? It’s not from me, it’s from God. And thanking Him for it? Is that like being humble?

 

[LSK]

Paris Blues:

So basically you’re depending on God in EVERYTHING???

Absolutely - nothing is nothing without God.

There is a saying heard around the tables of AA: “Of myself, and by myself, I am nothing more than a commode hugging drunk. So anything I do today that does not involve holding onto a toilet seat and throwing up is something to be grateful for rather than proud of…”

This does not mean we do not have a responsibility to do the next right thing that comes up each and every day, but crediting God with giving us the grace to live according to His Will means dependence upon Him. And dependence upon Him leads to greater independence.