Category: HUMILITY

  • “Through humility the saint makes himself almost unobserved, but he appears when there is need for consolation, for encouragement or help. For him no difficulty is insurmountable, because he believes firmly in the help of God sought through prayer. He is the most human and humble of beings, yet at the same time of an appearance that is unusual and amazing and gives rise in others to the sense of discovering in him, and in themselves too, what is truly human. He is a presence simultaneously most dear, and unintentionally, most impressing, the one who draws the most attention. For you he becomes the most intimate one of all and the most understanding; you never feel more at ease than near him, yet at the same time he forces you into a corner and makes you see your moral inadequacies and failings.”

    —Dumitru Staniloae, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology: The Experience of God, Vol. 1: Revelation and Knowledge of the Triune God

  • Things happen in our lives—moments happen—we’re saved from certain things. God touches our hearts in certain ways, and yet there is no change. …Why?  Because change means I need to change. Something in my life has to change. …It might mean that I have to change certain things about myself—certain behaviors, certain relationships. …It might mean I need to have a real hard think about the way I’m living my life. …It might mean I might have to look like a fool socially.  …it may mean that I have to look at that thing in my life which I know is not appropriate, but it gives me joy and it gives me pleasure, and so I keep it there. Change is required.

    We Need Change
    Sunday Homilies, 4 Feb 18
    February 4, 2018 • Fr. Daniel Fanous

  • You are always trying to “be something” or to be noticed for your spirituality. There are a lot of people who have an outward spirituality, but inwardly they still think too much of themselves. People who think they are lowering themselves have a lot of conceit. They think they are doing others a favor in “getting down to their level.”

    True humility is not like this. A truly humble person is content in all situations. He doesn’t notice if he is being praised or blamed, and isn’t always weighing if what is being said to him or about him is to his advantage.

    François Fénelon, The Seeking Heart

  • When those who have acquired moral stability and contemplative knowledge employ these for the sake of human glory, merely conveying an outward impression of the virtues, and uttering words of wisdom and knowledge without performing the corresponding actions; and when in addition they display to others their vanity because of this supposed virtue and knowledge, then they are rightly handed over to commensurate hardships, in order to learn through suffering that humility which was unknown to them before because of their empty conceit.

    —St Maximos the Confessor

  • When anyone, out of kindness, praises you to others, and they transmit these praises to you, do not consider them as a just tribute of esteem really due to you, but ascribe them solely to the kindness of heart of the person who thus spoke of you, and pray to God for him, that God may strengthen him in his kindness of heart and in every virtue; but acknowledge yourself to be the greatest of sinners, not out of humility, but truthfully, actually, knowing as you do your evil deeds.

    —St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

  • I have been so many different people, played so many different roles in my life…I was people I hated and people I admired.

    —Matt Haig, How to Stop Time

  • Excellence, here, was in proportion to obscurity: the one who was best was the one who was least observed, least distinguished.

    —Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain

  • Even if I hold the ‘correct’ opinion, even the opinion of a saint or of all of the saints, even the clear opinion of the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, if I hold such a correct opinion and I harbour in my heart conceit or selfish ambition or I look out mostly for my own interests rather than for the interests of others, then I am not of the same mind with any saint or with the Church—no matter how correct my opinion is or isn’t.

    Being of One Mind: What It Is and Isn’t
    ARCHPRIEST MICHAEL GILLIS | 27 FEBRUARY 2021

  • Self-esteem should be destroyed by doing good in secret and by praying constantly with a contrite heart.

    —St. John of Damascus

  • Making excuses is not written in the Scriptures. The Saints not only did not justify themselves, but they suffered willingly on behalf of others.

    —Saint Ephraim of Katounakia