Reporting of BastaBugie editorial team
The proud man has a high opinion of himself, believes it is the center of the universe, he talks about himself, boasts and expects a lot from others, instead the humble…
and Radio Roma Libera

Our Lord speaks to us about humility and pride, two of the great themes we find in the Gospels, in Sacred Scripture and in our spiritual life in all its stages.
Humility can be defined like this: acting in the awareness that one is nothing, and God is everything. St. Teresa of Avila writes that humility is the truth. The reason must be that humility is based on this truth, that I am nothing and God is everything. Saint Augustine writes that humility is the foundation of the spiritual building because, as can be assumed, if you act according to this truth and awareness, one will always act holy and well. So, if humility proceeds from the certainty that I am nothing, pride proceeds, Obviously, from the idea that I am everything; that I am, in a word, God himself.

The choice between pride and humility would therefore be the choice between the attitude that I am God and the attitude that I am nothing., that I am the center of the universe, or God be the center; the choice is not so theoretical, how practical, even though we know that God is everything, it is the center of the universe, often we don't act like this.

SO HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE HUMILITY?
We said that humility is based on the truth that I am nothing and God is everything. So to achieve humility you must first know, and accept this truth: I am nothing, I don't exist in myself, but only in God; I am not good in myself but only in God, while all my wickedness and malice comes solely from me. God, on the other hand, is everything. It is the fullness of reality and the sum of all perfections.
If I am tempted to pride and arrogance and I look at my misery and my many sins, what can I be proud of? Dust can be proud? The Holy Scripture, alternatively he asks us to look at the Majesty, goodness, and the infinite love of God and learning how to humble myself only before He who truly is great; Or look at the humility of God who stripped himself of His divine glory to become man and servant, and to be Crucified for love of me.
Another method to acquire humility is to practice obedience to parents, you have superiors. If I don't have superiors I can follow the advice of others rather than my own ideas; so I submit to others and learn to take second place.
THE PROUD AND HUMBLE MAN
Let's describe then, briefly, the proud man and the humble.
The proud man has a high opinion of himself, he talks about himself, he boasts and expects a lot from others towards him. If he is disappointed in his expectations he becomes offended, he gets angry, he gets sad, he complains. As for the others, he never asks for advice because he thinks he knows everything, and he doesn't care about anyone because he only cares about himself. If another person has any success, he is jealous of it because he wants every success for him.
While the humble man has a low opinion of himself; he knows it's nothing, therefore he never talks about himself, he doesn't boast, he doesn't expect anything from others so he doesn't get offended, he doesn't get angry, he doesn't get sad or complain. He asks for advice because he knows he is limited. He cares about others, rejoices in their successes and happiness.
With a regard for God, the proud never thinks of Him because he has made himself a god. While the humble always think of God, he refers all his thoughts and all his actions to Him, because he knows that He is everything. He also knows that we live in God and that only in God can we be happy in this and the next life. It recognizes that all the goodness one can possess comes from God, while all evil comes from itself. He doesn't even dare look up, but he beats his chest saying: “oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner”.
Original title: Humility and pride
Source: Radio Roma Libera, 8 January 2019
Published on BastaBugie n. 595