Humility in Doctrine and Rituals

8 May 19910 Comments

The lecture affirms that humility is the spiritual foundation of church life, doctrine, and rites, and that losing it leads to pride, doctrinal fall, and heresies.

Summary elements

The speaker begins by clarifying the human feeling of unworthiness before the holiness of God, and how this appears in church prayers and in the priest’s confession before the service.
He explains examples from the rite (washing hands, the preparatory prayer, offering the sacrifices) and how all of them express the spirit of humility and the acknowledgment of the need for God’s mercy.
He warns against pride that makes some people deny the intercession of the saints or the priesthood or confession, and turns spiritual attitudes into wrong doctrines.
He shows that claiming complete attainment or absolute certainty leads to stopping the spiritual struggle, while humility drives one to continue in struggle and repentance.
He links humility to the correct relation with ecclesiastical tradition and the sayings of the fathers and councils: the humble consult and submit to traditions, and the proud innovate and interpret the Scripture according to their desire.
He points out that humility produces obedience and submission to spiritual authorities and guidance of spiritual fathers, which preserves the community from division and heresy.
He mentions examples from the Holy Bible and the fathers (Paul, Anba Anthony, Proverbs and the Book of Revelation) to reinforce the importance of humility in the life of prayer, struggle, and mysteries.
He concludes by affirming that humility is not a mere apparent weakness but a virtue that preserves doctrine and rites and builds a steadfast spiritual life, and that it is the foundation of love and spiritual perfection.