It is an undeniable truth that there will be no mercy for the proud, for them it will remain.

the doors of heaven are closed and the Lord will only open them to the humble.

To convince yourself, just open the Holy Scriptures, which continually teach us that God
resists the proud, for one must become like the little ones to enter into their glory,
that whoever does not resemble them will be excluded, and finally, that God only grants His grace to the

humble.

We will never be able to adequately convince ourselves of the great importance it has for everyone.

Christian and especially for all those who follow the ecclesiastical career, the care to practice the
Humility and eliminate from your spirit all presumption, all vanity, and all pride. No effort
your fatigue will be too much to achieve the desired end in such a holy company, and, as this end does not

can be obtained without the grace of God, we must request it instantly and frequently. Every Christian

contracted, in baptism, the obligation to follow Jesus Christ, and He is the model according to which we must

everything regulates our life.

Every Christian has contracted in baptism the obligation to follow the steps of Jesus Christ, who is the model for

that we must conform our lives. Well, this Savior God practiced Humility to the point of
to make the reproach of men, to humiliate our pride and heal the wound of our arrogance,
teaching us through your example the unique path that leads to heaven. To speak with authority,
this is the most important lesson from the Savior: 'Learn from me!'

If you wish, then, O disciple of the divine Master, to acquire this precious pearl, which is the most secure

the pledge of holiness and the most certain sign of predestination, receives with docility and faithfully executes

the following advice:

I
Open the eyes of your soul, and think that you have nothing to move you to some esteem of yourself. Of yours, you have only

the sin, the weakness, the frailty; and as for the gifts of nature and grace that are in you, thus
as you received them from God, who is the beginning of all being, so to Him alone you must give glory.

II
Therefore conceive a deep feeling of your nothingness, and make it grow constantly within you.
heart, despite the pride that dominates in you. Deep down, persuade yourself that there is nothing in the world

but more vain and ridiculous than the desire to be esteemed for some gifts of the Creator's free liberalism,
For, as the Apostle says, if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift and as if you had it not?

received? (1 Cor 4:7).

III
Think often of your weakness, your blindness, your baseness, your hardness of heart, your
inconstancy, in your sensuality, in your insensitivity towards God, in your attachment to creatures and
in so many other vicious inclinations that arise from your corrupted nature. Let this serve you as great
reason for continuously sinking into your nothingness, and seeing yourself as the smallest and most vile in your eyes

everyone.

IV
The memory of the sins of your past life should always be imprinted on your spirit. No other
thing is as abominable as the sin of pride, which, when compared, surpasses any.
another, both on earth and in hell: this was the sin that caused the angels to err in heaven and the
it plunged into the abyss; this was what corrupted all humankind, and caused to fall upon the earth
that infinite multitude of evils, which will last as long as the world lasts, or, better said, will last

all eternity.

Moreover, a soul stained by sin is only worthy of hatred, contempt, and torments; see, therefore,
What estimate can you make of yourself, after so many sins of which you have become guilty.

V
Consider also that there is no offense, no matter how huge and detestable it may be, to which you do not lean towards.

corrupted nature, and of which you cannot make yourself a defendant; and only by the mercy of God and by
help from your divine grace you have been free from him until today, according to that sentence of Saint Augustine:

There would be no sin in the world that man would not commit, if the hand that made man ceased to.

"sustain it" (Arl. C. 15);

Cry eternally over this deplorable state, and make the firm resolution to include yourself among the most

indignant sinners.

VI
Think frequently that sooner or later you must die, and that your body will rot in a pit;
always before their eyes the inexorable tribunal of Jesus Christ, where all must necessarily
appear; meditate on the eternal pains of hell prepared for the wicked, and especially for the
imitators of Satan, who are the proud. Honestly consider that, through this impenetrable veil
that which hides from mortal eyes the divine judgments, you are in uncertainty about belonging or not to the number of

reprobates, who will eternally, in the company of demons, be thrown into that place of torment,
to be eternal victims of a fire ignited by divine wrath. This uncertainty should be enough in itself, to
to keep you in extreme humility, and to inspire you the most wholesome fear.

VII
Do not delude yourself into thinking that you can achieve Humility without the practices that lead to it.

linked, like the acts of meekness, of patience, of obedience, of hatred against you, of renunciation of your

feeling and your opinions, of regret for your sins and other similar acts, because
only these weapons can conquer in you the kingdom of self-love, that abominable ground where
all vices emerge, where your pride and your presumption nest and grow excessively.

VIII
As much as possible, observe silence and withdrawal, as long as it does not cause harm to
Moreover, when you are obliged to speak, always speak with gravity, modesty, and simplicity. And
If you happen not to be heard, whether out of disdain or for any other reason, do not show yourself.

resentful, but accepts this humiliation, and endures it with resignation and tranquility.

IX
With great care and attention, avoids speaking bold, proud words, and those that indicate pretension.
of superiority, as well as any studied phrase and all sorts of frivolous jokes; be quiet
always everything that you can do to make them consider you a person of spirit and worthy of esteem
of others. In a word, never speak of yourself without good reason, and say nothing that could earn you
honor and praise.

X
Beware not to mortify and hurt others with words and sarcasm; avoid, in a word, everything that...
that reminds the worldly spirit. It speaks little of spiritual things, and do not do so in a magisterial tone and to

way of reprimand, unless you are obliged to do so by your position or by charity: be content
how to question those who understand them and who you know can give you timely advice; because the
wanting to pose as a master without need is to add fuel to the fire of our soul, which consumes itself.
in smoke of pride.

Excerpt extracted from the book 'The Practice of Humility' by Gioacchino Pecci (Leo XIII)

PECCI, G. (LEÃO XIII). The Practice of Humility. Ed. Cultor de Livros, São Paulo, 2012