Thursday 20 June 2013

The Virtue of Humility


Quote from Letter 7,4 to Cyriacus, bishop of Constantinople. October 596

(And) I greaatly rejoice that the care of souls is now been entrusted to you, and although unworthy, I beseech our almighty Lord, with what prayers I can, that he may always increase his own grace in you, and make you gather tohether a rich crop of souls for the eternal homeland.
But as for you saying that you are too weak for this task to which you have been appointed, we know that the first virtue is the recognition of one's weakness, and thus we gather you are able to carry out the ministry undertaken by you with success, in that we see you recognizing your own weakness through your humility.
For we are all weak, but that man is weaker who is not able to perceive his own weakness. But you most blessed brethren, are strong since, not trusting your own fortitude, you put your trust in the strength of almighty God. 



Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 453

No comments:

Post a Comment