The Rule of Saint Benedict

Bretruren, Holy Scripture cries out to us, saying, Every one who exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he who humbleth himself shall be exalted.9 In this it tells us that every form of self-exaltation is a kind of pride, which the prophet declares he carefully avoided, where he says, Lord, my heart is not exalted, neither are my eyes lifted up ; neither have I walked in great things, nor in wonders above myself. And why? If I did not think humbly, but exalted my soul: as a child weaned

from his mother, so wilt Thou reward my soul?

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Wherefore, brethren, if we would scale the summit of humility, and swiftly gain the heavenly height which is reached by our lowliness in this present life, we must set up a ladder of climbing deeds like that which Jacob saw in his dream, whereon angels were descending and ascending. Without doubt that descending and ascending is to be understood by us as signifying that we descend by exalting ourselves and ascend by humbling ourselves. But the ladder itselt thus set up is our life in this world, which by humility of heart is lifted by our Lord to heaven. Our body and soul we may indeed call the sides of the ladder in which our divine vocation has set the divers steps of humility and discipline we have to ascend.

The first step of humility, then, is reached when a man, with the fear of God always before his eyes, does not allow himself to forget, but is ever mindful of all God’s commandments. He remembers, moreover, that such as contemn God fall into hell for

their sins, and that life eternal awaits such as fear

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Him. And warding off at each moment all sin and defect in thought and word, of eye, hand or foot, of self-will, let such a one bestir himself to prune away the lusts of the flesh.

Let him think that he is seen at all times by God from heaven ; and that wheresoever he may be, all his actions are visible to the eye of God and at all times are reported by the angels. The prophet shows us this when he says that God is ever present to our thoughts : God searcheth the hearts and reins V2 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are vain. He also saith, Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off ;°3 and again, The thought of man shall confess TÀee.7* In order, then, that the humble brother may be careful to avoid wrong thoughts let him always say in his heart, Tem shall I be without spot before Him, if I shall keep me from my iniquity 1%

We are forbidden to do our own will, since Scrip-

ture tells us, Leave thy own will and desire.\*® And

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again, We beg of God in prayer that His will may be done in us, .

Rightly are we taught therefore not to do our own will, if we take heed of what the Scripture teaches : There are ways which to men seem right, the end whereof plungeth even into the deep pit of hell}?8 And again, when we fear what is said about the negligent, They are corrupted, and made abominable in their pleasures.) But in regard of the desires of the flesh we ought to believe that God is present with us ; as the prophet says, speaking to the Lord, O Lord, all my desire is before Thee.\°°

We have therefore to beware of evil desires, since death stands close at the door of pleasure. It is for this reason that Scripture bids us, Follow not thy concupiscences.81 If, therefore, the eyes of the Lord behold both the good and the bad ; if He be ever looking down from heaven upon the sons of men to find one who thinks of God or seeks Him ; and

if day and night what we do is made known to Him

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—for these reasons, by the angels appointed to watch over us, we should always take heed, brethren, lest God may sometime or other see us, as the prophet says in the Psalm, inclined to evil and become unprofitable servants? Even though He spare us for a time, because He is loving and waits for our conversion to better ways, let us fear that He may say to us hereafter, These things thou hast done and I held my peace.\*?

The second step of humility is reached when any one not loving self-will takes no heed to satisfy his own desires, but copies in his life what our Lord said, I came not to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me.1®4 Scripture likewise proclaims that self-will engendereth punishment, and necessity purchaseth a crown.

The third step of humility is reached when a man, for the love of God, submits himself with all obedience to a superior, imitating our Lord, of whom the apostle saith, He was made obedient even unto death, 199

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The fourth step of humility is reached when any one in the exercise of his obedience patiently and with a quiet mind bears all that is inflicted on him, things contrary to nature, and even at times unjust, and in suffering all these he neither wearies nor gives over the work, since the Scripture says, He only that persevereth to the end shall be saved 5,199 also Let thy heart be comforted, and expect the Lord.?! And in order to show that for our Lord’s sake the faithful man ought to bear all things, no matter how contrary to nature they may be (the psalmist), in the person of the sufferers, says, For thee we suffer death all the day long ; we are esteemed as sheep for the slaughter.) Secure in the hope of divine reward they rejoice, saying, But in all things we overcome by the help of Him Who hath loved us.189

Elsewhere also Scripture says, Thou hast proved us, O Lord; Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried, with tire. Thou hast brought us into the snare; Thou hast laid tribu-

lation upon our backs.\40 And to show that we ought

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to be subject to a prior (or superior) it goes on, Thou hast placed men over our heads.41 And, moreover, they fulfil the Lord’s command by patience in adversity and injury, who, when struck on one cheek, offer the other ; when one taketh away their coat leave go their cloak also, and who being compelled to carry a burden one mile, go two; who, with Paul the apostle, suffer false brethren, and bless those who speak ill of them.142

The fifth step of humility is reached when a monk manifests to his abbot, by humble confession, all the evil thoughts of his heart and his secret faults. The Scripture urges us to do this where it says, Reveal thy way to the Lord and hope in Him. It also says, Confess to the Lord, because He is good, because His mercy endureth for ever4* And the prophet also says, I have made known unto Thee mine offence, and mine injustices I have not hidden. I have said, I will declare openly against myself mine injustices to the Lord ; and Thou hast pardoned the wickedness of my heart.\

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The sixth step of humility is reached when a monk is content with all that is mean and vile ; and in regard to everything enjoined him accounts himself a poor and worthless workman, saying with the prophet, I have been brought to nothing, and knew it not. I have become as a beast before Thee, and I am always with Top. 159

The seventh step of humility is reached when a man not only confesses with his tongue that he is most lowly and inferior to others, but in his inmost heart believes so. Such a one, humbling himself, exclaims with the prophet, J am a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the outcast of the people" I have been exalted and am humbled and confounded 18 And again, It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn Thy commandments.

The eighth step of humility is reached when a monk does nothing but what the common rule of the monastery, or the example of his seniors, enforces.

The ninth step of humility is reached when a 3

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monk restrains his tongue from talking, and, practising silence, speaks not till a question be asked him, since Scripture says, In many words thou shalt not avoid siu, 190 and z talkative man shall not be directed upon the earth.'>1

The tenth step of humility is attained to when one is not easily and quickly moved to laughter, for it is written, Te fool lifteth his voice in laughter 19?

The eleventh step of humility is reached when a monk, in speaking, do so quietly and without laughter, humbly, gravely and in a few words and not with a loud voice, for it is written, 4 wise man is known by a few words.8

The twelfth step of humility is reached when a monk not only has humility in his heart, but even shows it also exteriorly to all who behold him. Thus, whether he be in the oratory at the “ Work of God,” in the monastery, or in the garden, on a journey, or in the fields, or wheresoever he be, sitting, standing or walking, always let him, with head bent

and eyes fixed on the ground, bethink himself of his

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sins and imagine that he is arraigned before the dread judgment of God. Let him be ever saying to himself, with the publican in the Gospel, Lord, I a sinner am not worthy to lift mine eyes to heaven ; 19* and with the prophet, J am bowed down and humbled on every side.195

When all these steps of humility have been mounted the monk will presently attain to that love of God which is perfect and casteth out fear. By means of this love everything which before he had observed not without fear, he shall now begin to do by habit, without any trouble and, as it were, naturally. He acts now not through fear of hell, but for the love of Christ, out of a good habit and a delight in virtue. : All this our Lord will vouchsafe to work by the Holy Ghost in His servant, now cleansed from vice and

sin.

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