The Twelve Degrees of Humility and Pride

THE TWELVE DEGREES OF HUMILITY

The search for Truth—Christ the goal and the road.

I propose to speak of the degrees of humility, as St. Benedict sets them before us, as not only to be enumerated but to be attained. And I will first indicate, to the best of my ability, the goal that may be reached by their means, so that when you have heard the result of its attainment, the toil involved in the ascent may be less severely felt. So let our Lord set before us the difficulties that we shall encounter, and the reward that we shall receive for our toilsome journey.

I am, saith He, The Way and the Truth and the Life. He calls humility ‘the way’ because it leads to the truth. In the former lies the labour, in the latter is the reward. But, you may ask, how am I to know that He was here speaking of humility, since He says without further explanation, I am the Way? Listen to His more explicit statement, Learn of me because I am meek and humble of heart.” In this He exhibits Himself as a type of humility, a model of meekness. If you imitate Him, you are not walking in darkness, but you will have the light of life. What is the light of life, unless it be the truth, which lightens every man that comes into the world, and shows us wherein true life consists? For this reason, to those words of His I am the Way and the Truth, He added and the Life, as though He meant to say, I am the way because I lead to the truth, I am the truth because I promise life, I am myself the life which I give. For this, saith He, is life eternal, that they may know thee the true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. But admitting this, you may still say, I recognize humility as the way; I long for truth as the reward; but what if the toil of the journey be so great that I am unable to reach the desired goal? To this He replies, I am the life, that is the provision for the journey by which you will be supported on the way. So He exclaims to the wanderers and to those who do not know the road, I am the way, to the doubters and disbelievers, I am the truth, to those who have begun the ascent and are getting tired, I am the life.