There is nothing more attractive than humility with kindness. But we must look for it: it does not flaunt itself.
Ahab said to the man who was following him and shouting abuse: “If you have anything else to say against me, say it before we enter the city, else people will hear you and attack you.”
— Egyptian wisdom
A dispute also arose among them, which of them was considered to be greatest. He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”
— Luke 22:24–27
One winter, Francis was walking with Brother Leo from Perugia to Portiuncula; it was so cold that they were shivering. Francis called to Brother Leo, who was walking ahead of him, and said to him: “Oh, Brother Leo, may God grant that our brothers set the example of a holy life all over the world; write down, however, that there is no perfect joy in this.”
Having walked a little further, Francis again called to Brother Leo: “And write down also, Brother Leo, that if our brothers begin to heal the sick, exorcise demons, make the blind see or resurrect those who had been dead for four days—write down that in this also there would not be perfect joy.”
And, having walked further, Francis said to Leo: “Write down also, Brother Leo, that if our brothers knew all the languages, all the sciences and all the scriptures, if they prophesied not only about the future, but also knew all the mysteries of the conscience and the soul—write down that in this also there is no perfect joy.”
Having walked further, Francis again called to Leo and said:
“And write down also, Brother Leo, lamb of God, that if we learned to speak the tongues of angels, if we figured out the movements of the stars and if all the treasures of the earth were revealed to us, and if we had fathomed all the mysteries of the lives of birds, fishes, all the animals, humans, trees, rocks and waters—write down that this also would not give us perfect joy.”
And, having walked a little further, Francis again called to Brother Leo and said to him: “Write down also that if we were such preachers that we could turn all the pagans into Christians—write down that in this also there would not be perfect joy.”
Then Brother Leo said to Francis: “What then, Brother Francis, is perfect joy?”
And Francis answered: “Here’s what: if, when we reach Portiuncula all dirty, soaked, numb from the cold and hungry, and ask the gatekeeper to let us in, the gatekeeper replies: ‘Why are you vagabonds wandering around the world, tempting people, stealing alms from the poor? Go away!’ and does not open the gates for us. And if then we do not take offense but think with humility and love that the gatekeeper is right, that God himself has influenced him to treat us this way, and when, soaked, wet and hungry, we spend the night in the snow and water without grumbling at the gatekeeper, then, Brother Leo, only then will there be perfect joy.”
The reason why the rivers and the seas rule the valleys along which they flow is because they are lower than them.
That is why a holy man who wants to be higher than the people must become lower than them. If he wants to lead them, he must be behind them.
Thus, even if a holy man stands above the people, the people do not feel it. If he stands ahead of the people, the people do not see it and do not suffer because of it. He does not argue with anyone and no one in the world argues with him. That is why the world always praises him.
— Laozi
A sage was told that people thought that he was a bad man. He replied: “It is good that they do not know everything about me, else they would have worse things to say.”
Avoid judging yourself and, above all, comparing yourself to others. Compare yourself only to perfection.
