On Humility
From “THE IMITATION OF CHRIST” by Thomas a’Kempis
On humility and Peace
Narrated by Frank Dugan, Huntington Beach, California
Do not care much who is with you and who is against you; but make it your greatest care that God is with you in everything you do. Have a good conscience, and God will defend you securely; no one can hurt you if God wishes to help you. If you know how to suffer in silence, you will surely receive God’s help. Since he knows best the time and the way to set you free, resign yourself to him, for God helps you and frees you from all confusion.
It is often good for us, and helps us to remain humble, if others know our weaknesses and confront us with them. When a man humbles himself for his faults, he more easily pleases others and mollifies those he has angered. God protects and frees a humble man; he loves and consoles a humble man; he favors a humble man; he showers him with graces; then, after his suffering, God raises him up to glory.
He reveals his secrets to a humble man and in his kindness invitingly draws that man to himself. When a humble man is brought to confusion, he experiences peace, because he stands firm in God and not in this world. Do not think that you have made any progress unless you feel that you are the lowest of all men.
Above all things, keep peace among others. It is better to be peaceful than learned. The passionate man often thinks evil of a good man and easily believes the worst; a good and peaceful man turns all things to good. A man who lives at peace suspects no one. But a man who is tense and agitated by evil is troubled with all kinds of suspicions; he is never at peace with himself, nor does he permit others to be at peace.
He often speaks when he should be silent, and he fails to say what would be truly useful. He is well aware of the obligations of others but neglects his own. So be zealous first of all with yourself, and then you will be more justified in expressing zeal for your neighbor.
You are good at excusing and justifying your own deeds, and yet you will not listen to the excuses of others. It would be more just to accuse yourself and to excuse your brother. If you wish others to put up with you, first put up with them.
Source: The Liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings
Thomas a’ Kempis (c.1379 – d.1471)
Thomas a’ Kempis (c.1379 – d.1471) Born in Kempen, Holland Thomas, at thirteen, followed his older bother in joining a lay religious congregation – the Canons Regular. He entered the community called the “Devout Brothers and Sisters.” These took no vows, but lived a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Some lived in their homes while others, especially clerics, lived in community. They were expected to earn their living by the labor of their hands and, for the clerics, this meant transcribing books and seeing to he instruction of the young. All earnings were placed in a common fund and their life focused on practicing the virtues of the early Christians. They developed deep sentiments on the love of God and neighbor. Their simple life focused on prayer, humility, study and devotion. A priory was established in 1386. Thomas would live there for seventy two years as one of the most distinguished of the Canons Regular.
From the beginning Thomas was noted for his neatness and skill in transcribing manuscripts. This would be a life-long labor of love for him. In addition his originalcompositions he also copied numerous treatises from the Early Church Fathers, especially from St. Bernard. He copied a Missal for the use of his community, and completed a transcription of the whole Bible in four large volumes. These works still exist today.
Thomas took the habit as a novice in 1406 and was ordained a priest in 1413 at age 33. He was made sub-prior in 1448 and part of his duties involved training the young religious. He frequently preached in the church attached to the prior and wrote a series of sermons to the Novices Regular. He wrote a series of prayers and meditations on the Life of Christ, on The Incarnation and Life of Our Lord, and was particularly focused on the suffering and passion of Christ. He was known to be kind and affable towards all, especially the sorrowful and the afflicted. Thomas spent much of his time reading, writing and in prayer. He found it difficult to engage in shallow conversations but was readily eloquent when the conversation turned to God or the concerns of the soul. After his death in 1471, at the age of 92, his remains were ultimately enshrined in a reliquary in St. Michael’s Church in Zwolle. Steps were taken in the cause of his beatification in the 17th century but were never completed.
Some controversy developed over the authorship of the “Imitation of Christ” since the book was issued anonymously in 1418. But the with a writing style identical with other works of Thomas together with the spirit of mysticism typically identified with his writings leave scholars with no serious doubt about Thomas a’ Kempis being the author of this truly classical work.