PART TWO

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LIFE OF HUMILITY
AND
MEEKNESS
2

BY HIS HOLINESS AMBA SHENOUDA III,
POPE AND PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA
AND
THE APOSTOLIC SEE OF ALL THE PREDICATION OF
SAINT MARK

Translated from "WATANY" newspaper, July 16, 2000



This is the English translation of the SECOND from twelve parts of a series of articles of
H.H.Pope Shenouda III that appeared in Watany weekly newspaper during the period
from July 9, 2000 to September 24, 2000
http://www.4shared.com/document/FfQKBs5H/Life_of_humility_July_16_2000.html



WHAT IS HUMILITY?

SOME SAYINGS
ABOUT IT
FROM THE FATHERS









What is humility?
Humility is not that you go down from your high place, or that you condescend to the level of others.
Humility is not that you feel that in spite of your greatness, you make yourself little or you hide this greatness; because your feeling that you are great implies some pride; and your feeling that you are in a high place from where you go down, has nothing at all to do with humility; and your feeling that you hide this greatness, implies a feeling of greatness, a feeling of a greatness which you hide from people, but which is clear in front of your eyes.
God is the only one who is great; He is the only great one who condescends from his high place. He is the creator. The rest are dust and ashes.
But true humility is, like the fathers said, the knowledge by man of himself.
Hence you know who you are. That you are dust from the earth. Rather dust is more ancient than you, it existed before you. God created it first. Then he created you from dust.
I remember that once I addressed this dust in verses where I said:
"O dust of the earth, o my grandfather
and the grandfather of all people.
You are my origin, you who are older
in life than Adam .
You will be my destiny in the grave,
if I am buried in a grave."
Moreover you, my brother, if you think humbly about the question, you will find that this dust did not make God angry, as you did Him angry with you sins.
Know that you are not only dust, but that you are a sinner and a weak man.
But this knowledge should be certain, with an unpretending true feeling inside yourself.......Even when you are in the depth of your strength, you understand that this strength is not from you, but it is a heavenly gift to you from God who supports you; and if his grace abandonned you for a single moment, you would fall down just as you had falled down before.
We say this because there are many who have the appearance of humility, while their hearts are not humble inside......
There are many who talk with humble expressions........and these expressions would perhaps elevate them in the eyes of people; while they know that, and perhaps they want it! Someone of them would say that he is a sinner and a weak man. But if somebody said to him that he is a sinner and a weak man, he would become angry and stirred up. He would not count him as one of his dear ones, but his heart would be changed as regards him.......!
Hence true humility is the humility which is first inside the soul,
with a true conviction of heart, that does not come from pretence or hypocrisy, and not because this is the garnment which you have to wear in order to appear as a just man in front of people. But because you completely understand about youtself, with proofs and arguments, that you are a sinner and a weak man, according to the previous experience of your life. The question does not stop at your knowledge that you are so, but also
treat yourself according to what you know about yourself as regards faults, lackings, and weakness:
You know about yourself that you are a sinner; and you treat yourself as a sinner. If people treat you like a sinner, you accept that, and do not become angry, and do not grumble, and do not respond likewise, feeling that you deserve that. If they do not treat you according to your sins, because they do not know them, you have to crush yourself from inside, and thank God with your heart, for a treatment which you do not deserve, neither from them, nor from Him, because he has covered you and did not unveil you to them.
If it is so, then the humble does not absolutely dare to praise himself.
He does not only see that he is a sinner and a weak person, but that he is, more than everybody, a sinner and a weak person, at least as regards the things which were possible for him, and from which he did not profit. That is why he does not absolutely see that he is better than anybody, and that if he appears to be better in some definite point, yet he is the weakest in many others which he knows about himself. Hence he does not judge anybody, but rather
he always takes the lowest place, according to the commandment of the Lord (Luke 14:10).
What is intended is not the lowest place as regards locality, but as regards rank; as the "spiritual old man" said: "Wherever you are, be small among your brothers, and be their servant." It was also said: " Be the last one to speak, and do not interrupt the discourse of him who is speaking, in order to speak yourself................and try to learn, and not to teach others, and not to show your knowledge."
The humble man must practise virtue in secret:
And that according to the commandment of the Lord (Matt. 6). Hence it is not suitable at all to humility, that a person should talk about the good works which he does, or about the elevated things which happen to him.
The apostle saint Paul who ascended to the third heaven, and heard inexpressible words, did not say that this happened to him, but he said: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago - whether in the body, I do not know; or whether out of the body, I do not know, God knows - such a one was caught up to the third heaven. ...........he was caught up in Paradise and heard inexpressible words" (2 Cor. 12: 2-4).
Virtue in a humble person, is like a treasure which is hidden in a field.
How numerous are the stories which the history of saints tells us about those humble people who had hidden their virtues, who had hidden their knowledge, and rather had also hidden themselves, and lived as being ignored by men, and it was enough for them to be known by God!! The word of the Lord in the "Song of Solomon", applied to them: "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed" (Song 12:4)........like the Holy Virgin Mary, who was a treasure of visions and apparitions. But she remained silent and "kept all these things in her heart" (Luke 2:51).

Some sayings of the fathers.
When saint Macarius was asked: "Which is the greatest virtue?", he replied:
"As pride has brought down an angel from his high situation, and has brought down the first man, likewise humility raises up its owner from the depths". Is not God, him who "raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes - with the princes of His people"? (Ps. 113: 7-8) "He has put down the mighy from their thrones, and exalted the lowly" (Luke 1:52).
Saint Augustin said: "The humble are like a rock which goes down, but is firmly established. But the proud are like smoke which goes up and expands, and while it is going up and expanding, it is dispersed and vanishes away."
Saints have presented another example about humility and pride. They said:
"A branch of a tree which bears fruit, is inclined by the weight of what it bears, but the empty branch is raised up high!"
There is another resemblance, which is the foundation and the construction. The foundation works while it is hidden. It does not appear. Il exists under the ground, nobody sees it. But it supports all the construction, renouncing itself.........and at the same time, it advances the construction in dignity. People praise the construction because it is apparent in front of them, and it is rare that anyone would think of praising the hidden foundation.
Amba Moussa said: "Humility of heart is first among all the virtues, likewise pride is the foundation of all evils."
Saint Isaac said: "It is better for a man to know his sins, than to profit all the creation by his aspect. He who laments everyday because of his sins, is better than he who raises up the dead.......He who has deserved to see his sins, is better than he who has deserved to see angels."
A saint said: "Imitate the publican, lest you would be judged with the pharisee"
Another saint said: "I prefer to be defeated with humility, rather than to be victorious with pride."
Once a brother said to saint Timothy: "I see that my thoughts are continually with God". He replied to him: "What is better than that is, that you see yourself under all the creation".
An ancient said: "Humility has saved many, without fatigue; and the labour of man without humility, goes vainly away; because many have toiled and became proud, and hence they perished."
Another said: "If humility went down to hell, it would ascend to heaven; and if greatness (pride) ascended to heaven, it would go down, to hell."
Saint Evagrius said: "Demons fear the humble, because they know that he has become a dwelling for the Lord". He also said: "As the multiplicity of fruits lowers the branches of trees, likewise the multiplicity of virtues lowers the heart of man."
An ancient was asked: "How is it that some people say that they see angels?"
He answered: "Blessed is he who sees his sins all the time".
Saint Simeon the Stylist said: "Humility is the dwelling of the Spirit and the place of His repose. The humble never falls down; for how would he fall when his conscience and his thoughts are under all people?"......... Pride is a great fall, and humility is a great rise. Let us accustom our souls from now on, to hold fast to humility, and make it a habit for us, even if our heart is not willing."
Saint Dorotheus said: "As a matter of fact, there is nothing stronger than humility, because nothing can conquer it."
Saint Isaac said: "A tree which produces much fruit, has its branches bent down because of the multiplicity of its fruits, and it does not move with every wind; but a tree which has no fruit, has its branches elevated, and it moves with every wind."
He said also: "Falling down which is accompanied with humility and repentance, is agreable to God, more than standing up which is accompanied with pride."
A father said: " When the first man desired the glory of divinity, according to what Satan said: "you will be like God" (Gen. 3:5), then he lost the glory of humanity, as he was created to the image of God " (Gen. 1:27).
We shall continue our discourse in the next issue, if God wills and we live.