It is impossible to capture in words the joy that sweeps over the heart when one comes to understand what St. John Climacus is revealing to us about the nature of humility. In this step, he strips away all of our limited, false, or distorted perceptions of humility and reveals it for what it is: a gift of God‘s own self.
After reading Step 25 our understanding of humility is forever changed. We are shown that God reveals the nature of humility by revealing himself to us in his Son. “Humility is Christ’s spiritual doctrine,” St. John tells us. “It is introduced into the inner chamber of the soul by those who are counted worthy of it. It cannot be defined by perceptible words.” Rather, by the grace of God, the heart is purified of the passions and all impediments are removed to our receiving God’s gifts. One of the greatest of those gifts is humility.
This virtue is a participation in the life of God. Whatever we might lose of honor or dignity in the world is nothing in comparison to the joy that Christ offers us through this virtue. “He who humbles himself will be exalted”. We may feel that we are falling into an abyss and losing our identity as we let go of our attachment to the things of this world. However, what we are falling into is actually the abyss of God‘s love. We are letting go of the false self in order that we might be immersed in He who is meaning, He who is truth, He who is reality!
What joy should be ours, St. John tells us: “By this shall all men know that we are God’s disciples, not because the devils are subject to us, but because our names are written in the Heaven of Humility.”
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Text of chat during the group:
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-nine
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part X and Hypothesis II, Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-eight
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part IX
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-seven Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part VIII
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-six Part II and Letter Forty-seven Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part VII
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-six Part I
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part VI
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-five Part II
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part V
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-four Part II and Letter Forty-five
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part IV
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-three Part II and Letter Forty-four
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part III
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-three
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-two
The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part I
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