by Boudreaux, Florentin, 1821-1894
Chapter III.
Meekness and Humility in Practice.
"Son, humble thy heart and endure; and in thy humiliation keep patience." Eccli. ii. and 4.
WE have hardly crossed the threshold of
the Paradise of the Sacred Heart, and
yet we have already come upon two plants
of such surpassing loveliness and of such
sovereign healing virtue, that we need not
regret having been delayed by them; and
we may well permit them to detain us a little longer, not only that we may enjoy their
refreshing beauty, but also that we may derive from them some lasting profit to our
souls. Indeed, it were useless to proceed,
before having received the benefit of their
healing virtue. We must learn well the first
lesson we receive from the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. We cannot learn any other until we
have thoroughly mastered this.
Humility is the groundwork of all virtue, the foundation of all spiritual edification.
We must not attempt to raise the tower of
perfection until we have laid this foundation;
else our labour will be vain, and our building
will fall in ruins about us long before it
reaches its destined height.
In this chapter we place meekness and humility together, because when speaking of
practise, it is difficult to separate them.
Meekness is the fruit of humility, the exterior, visible effect of the hidden virtue.
Meekness is the garb in which humility appears. Humility is the root, buried deep in
the earth ; the inner portion or heart of the
tree. Meekness is the outer part, the leaves,
blossoms and fruit. It is that which we first
perceive and from it we can trace the root ;
we know that the root is there, and that all
the growth and vigour and beauty and wealth
of the lovely plant come from it and are due
to it. It is for this reason that meekness precedes humility in the first lesson given us by
the loving Heart of Jesus. The effect is seen
before the cause ; the exterior virtue before
the secret source from which it springs. But for us, the disciples of the Sacred Heart, for
us who come, destitute of virtue, to Him from
whom we may acquire it, humility must be
the first study, because we can never be meek
until we are humble; we cannot enjoy the
fruit, until we have planted the root and developed it into the tree which will bear the
coveted burthen.
There is something indescribably beautiful
in the character of the Saints ; something irresistibly attractive in the manner of persons
whose souls are filled with the Spirit of God.
They are so meek, so gentle, so unselfish;
there is about them such an atmosphere of
peaceful serenity, a halo of soft and delicious
cheerfulness, that we cannot help wondering
why it is that they are so different from other
men ; we cannot help thinking that they must
be blessed with more than earthly happiness.
It is the sweetest repose to be with them, it
is refreshment after labour, consolation in sorrow, encouragement in affliction. Their
smile is ever cheering, their sympathy is
never at fault; they seem to have no sorrows of their own to divert their thoughts- to themselves, but to hold all their zealous
interest, all their soothing compassion, all
their active solicitude, entirely at our service, and that with such artless candour and
unselfish sincerity, that we feel almost as if
we were conferring a favour on them, by pouring our sorrows into their bosoms, and permitting them to wipe our tears away. They are not to be wearied by importunity ; not
soured by ingratitude ; not saddened by failure. We may sometimes think that they are
not equally kind and attentive to others as to
ourselves ; we may happen to be of the favoured few, whose position, wealth or influence merits for us that distinguishing affability. It is not so. The true man of God
is all to all, ever mild and gentle and com-
passionate, whether he is frequented by the
great ones of the earth, or surrounded by the
poor and the ignorant. He does not spurn
the ragged beggar, nor the unlettered and
unmannered child. He smiles on all alike,
he draws all hearts to him, and wins the confidence of all that approach him. What is
that hidden charm ? What is that wondrous magic? Whence comes that sweetly irresistible attraction? The Saints are meek
and humble of heart ; this is their magic
and their charm. They have banished from
their hearts the unfeeling selfishness which
pride engenders ; they have schooled their
hearts to meekness by endurance. They
care not for the honours of earth, nor do they
fear its frown. The world cannot harm them,
because they care neither for what it can give
not for what it can take away. Their hearts
are like the Heart of Jesus; they have
learned of Jesus to be meek and humble
of heart.
But we too must learn the same lesson;
for we have entered the same school and are
listening to the same heavenly Teacher. We
have been admitted into the same Paradise,
and may eat of the same fruit. So far from
being forbidden to eat of it, we are invited
and urged to partake. Here the history of
the ancient Paradise is reversed. There God
forbade and Satan commanded to eat. There
the inordinate ambition to be like unto God
was punished with a fall from the state and grace which God had bestowed.
