515 part iv: meditations for weekly retreats in believing that you deserve to be crushed by the greatest pains, annoyances, and anguishes. Beware of doing those things that disturb others, but do things that please them, provided that they are not sinful. Believe yourself deserving to undergo punishment for other sinners. Flee from sublime titles, and pleasure of praise and reverence, as far as it is fitting, unless God thus arranges that these things, without your aspiring for them, are imposed upon and shown to you against your will, which is to be endured also out of humility, In a word, it will also testify to the greatest humility, if doing such things zealously, you would not be aware of being humble and would decidedly deny it. You should behave as if you did not know what humility is, or rather you should recognize and praise it. Should you even fulfill all of the things asked, nonetheless you will never arrive at the perfection and summit of humility, at which arrived their Master, Christ, [f.168v] and which He attained, or to which all of the other saints ascended. However, so that as a disciple you do not separate yourself from Him, at least be good enough to exercise the duties and acts of humility, which the Savior Himself exercised; or at least admire them, praise them, and understand that even if you had the humility of all the saints, you could never imitate or match even the least portion of the humility of Christ. And finally, ask that He who alone can do it, make you humble. He, who “has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the humble” (cf. Lk 1:52). MEDITATION XIII ON MODESTY259 1. Consider what the Wise Man says: “There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to 259 St. Stanislaus uses the Latin word modestia, but it is important to note that this Latin word has a broader meaning than how we typically use the word “modesty” in English, and signifies an overall temperateness of spirit rather than simply temperance in regard to dress.
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