118. Low

118. If you have a sincere wish to save your soul, you must take those means which God has ordained for you, and the principal and most essential one is humility, as is shown in holy Scripture: "For Thou wilt save the humble people." [Ps. xxxiii, 10] "And He will save the humble of spirit." [Ps. xvii, 28] "Glory shall uphold the humble of spirit." [Prov. xxix, 23] And how do you esteem this humility? How do you practice it? How fervently do you ask God for it? Do you hold it to be of precept, or only of counsel which you are at liberty to choose or reject at will? The entrance to Paradise is not only narrow but low, therefore Jesus Christ said: "Unless you become as little children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven." [Matt. xviii, 3] And into this kingdom he alone can enter who "shall humble himself." [Ibid. xviii, 4]

There is always danger on the journey towards our heavenly home for those who hold their heads high, and it is safer to keep them bowed low. This is a general rule for all.

St. John of Chrysostom warns us: "When our Lord said, 'Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart,' it was not merely to monks that He spoke, but to all classes of men." [Lib. 3]

Humility of heart was not commanded by Jesus Christ only to religious, but also to seculars whoever they may be and without any exception.