What the Saints Have to Say about - Humility

It was pride that caused the fall of Lucifer and Adam. If you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is still humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give, but if humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts are fruitless.

- St. Augustine of Hippo

I knew nothing; I was nothing. For this reason God picked me out.

- St. Catherine Laboure

In order to banish this plague of vainglory far from my children, I do ask you and their mother and all their friends to sing this song to them, and go on singing it, drive it into their heads that vainglory is despicable and to be spit upon, and that there is nothing more sublime than the humble modesty so often praised by Christ.

- St. Thomas More

Humility is like a pair of scales; the lower one side falls, the higher rises the other. Let us humble ourselves like the Blessed Virgin and we shall be exalted.

- St. John Vianney

True humility does not make a show of itself and hardly speaks in a humble way. It not only wants to conceal all other virtues but most of all it wants to conceal itself. If it were lawful to lie, dissemble, or scandalize our neighbor, humility would perform arrogant, haughty actions so that it might b concealed beneath them and live completely hidden and unknown.

- St. Francis de Sales

Not to feel pleased at being praised is, I am afraid, what has never happend to any man.

- St. John Chrysostom

In order to become an instrument in God's hands we must be of no account in our own eyes.

- St. Angela Merici