Life of Humility and Meekness
This book will be issued soon, God willing, including everything that has reached us from the sayings of the holy fathers. And until it is issued, we now quote for you some words in

urging towards humility…!¹

Abba Anthony said: Love humility, for it covers all sins.
And Abba Barsanuphius said: Acquire humility, for it breaks all the snares of the enemy.
And Mother Theodora said: No asceticism nor toil nor fasting can take the place of complete humility. For it was said about a solitary man who used to cast out demons; he asked them saying, “By what do you go out? By fasting?” They said, “We never eat at all.” He asked them, “By vigil?” They said, “We do not sleep.” He asked them, “By leaving the world?” They said, “Our dwellings are the deserts and ruins.” He asked them finally, “So by what do you go out then?” They answered him: “There is nothing that crushes us except humility.” Therefore humility is the defeat of Satan.
And Abba Isaiah said: Love humility, for it keeps you from sin.
And Abba Pachomius said: Walk in the path of humility, for God does not send away the humble disappointed, but casts down the proud, and his fall will be terrible… Beware of pride of heart, for it is the worst of all vices. And he also said: “Be humble so that you may be joyful, for joy goes along with humility. Be humble so that the Lord may guard you and strengthen you, for He says that He looks upon the humble. Be meek so that the Lord may fill you with wisdom and knowledge and understanding, for it is written that He guides the meek in judgment and teaches the humble His ways.”
And Abba John the Short said: “We must before all things practice humility. For this is the first commandment that our Lord spoke of: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
And the Spiritual Elder said: “Clothe yourself, my brother, with humility at all times, for it clothes your soul with Christ its Giver.” (The Paradise of the Monks)
And Mar Isaac said: “Love humility in all your ways so that you may escape the snares which you do not perceive, which are at all times outside the paths walked by the humble.” (Bk 2, Mem. 2)
And he also said: “Do not seek to be honored while you are filled inside with wounds. Hate honor and you will be honored, and do not love it lest you be despised. Whoever runs after honor, it flees from him; and whoever flees from it, it approaches him and announces to all people his humility.” (Bk 3, Mem. 2)
And he also said: “Be humble in your exaltation, and do not exalt yourself in your lowliness”… “Put yourself down and make your worth small before all people, and you will rise above the rulers in this world.”
And he also said—warning against using humility as a means to pride: “If you diminish yourself in order to be honored, the Lord will expose you. But if you humble yourself for the sake of truth, then God Most High goes before His creatures so that they praise you and opens before you the gate of His glory which He has spoken of from eternity, and they glorify you like the Creator Most High because you truly become in His image and likeness.” (Bk 3, Mem. 2)
And he also said: “Be faithful in your wisdom, and do not pretend to be wise when you are unlearned.” (Bk 3, Mem. 2)
And he also said: O miserable man, if you want to find life, hold fast to faith and humility, so that you may find through them mercy and help and a voice from God in your heart… And if you want to acquire these, then hold fast from the beginning of your way to simplicity, and walk before God in guilelessness and not in knowledge. (Bk 2, Mem. 18)
And Saint Augustine said: “Do you want to be great? Begin from below. Are you thinking to build a great structure in its height? Think first of laying the foundation of humility. The building that will rise above—whenever it is great—according to its greatness must be the depth of its foundation. The building in its raising goes upward, but he who digs its foundation must first go down to the lowest depth. Thus you see that the building is below before it is above, and the summit does not rise except after humility.”
So what is the summit in the height of this building that we construct? To where does the highest point of this building reach? I say at once: to the vision of God. Do you see how high and how great it is to see God!… But since the summit is high, think of the foundation. And what foundation? “Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” So dig the foundation of humility deeply in yourself, and thus you reach the crown of the summit of love. (Sermon 19)
And the Spiritual Elder said: “The prophet says: Woe to the one who is wise in his own eyes… So be like a servant before his masters, and not like a brother before his brothers… Be the first in works that others rise above doing, and be the last in organizing and managing matters… Clothe yourself with humility at all times, and it will make you a dwelling place for Him.” (Mem. 31)
And he also said: “As it is fitting for the young to fast and be ascetic, so it is fitting for the elders to be humble and to yield, because suspicion and vain glory always cling to them, and they need the striving of the soul more than the striving of the body.” And he also said: “The treasure hidden in the earth does not diminish, nor is it feared from thieves; and the treasure of knowledge inside the heart is not taken away by the thoughts of vain glory.”
And Mar Ephraim said: “Just as the body needs a garment whether the weather is warm or cold, so the soul needs always the garment of humility. A precious possession is the humility of mind… Choose to walk naked and barefoot more than to be stripped of it. For those who love humility are covered by the Lord.”
And he also said: “If you see yourself crowned with virtues and high in them, then at that time you need all the more the humility of mind, so that you may lay a sound foundation for your work and that the building may remain preserved, unmoved.” Do not magnify your own worth, for perhaps a trial may come to you and rebuke those who think well of you. Love humility, for it is a wall that cannot be broken before the face of the enemy, and a striking rock that breaks the tricks of Satan.” (Mem. 47, Mem. 19)
And Augustine said: When the Canaanite woman answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat from the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table,” she heard, “O woman, great is your faith.” And also when the centurion said, “I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof,” the Lord said, “Truly, I have not found in Israel such great faith as this.” Let us learn therefore humility and hold firmly to it. If we do not have it until now, let us learn it; and if we have it, let us not lose it. If we do not have it, let us obtain it so that we may be fed; and if we have it, let us hold to it so that we may not be cut off. (Sermon 27)
Saint John the Asiote was asked: “Who is perfect in knowledge?” He answered: “It is he who considers all people better than himself.”
Abba Moses said: “Humility of heart goes before all virtues… and pride is the foundation of all evils.”
And Saint Macarius the Great said: Fasting without prayer and humility is like an eagle with broken wings.
And Mar Isaac said: “If you walk well in the depth of virtue but do not sense its taste of help, do not be amazed at this, for unless a man humbles himself he will not receive the reward of his labor. The reward is not given for the labor, but through humility. And whoever loses humility loses the toil of his work.” And he also said: “If you pass through all the dwellings of virtue, you will not find rest from your toil nor deliverance from the plots of your enemies until you reach the dwelling of humility.” (Bk 2, Mem. 15; Mem. 5)

¹ An article by His Grace Bishop Shenouda, Bishop of Education – Al-Keraza Magazine, First Year – Issue Four – April 1965

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