“Let us consider my brethren our own great vileness, and how greatly we have offended almighty God, and let us humble ourselves before him, as much as we can possibly: let us be afraid to lift up our eyes towards heaven, and let us strike our breasts with that publican of the gospel, that almighty God may take pity and compassion upon us: let us enforce ourselves, and take arms against our own malice and wickedness: let us become judges over ourselves: and let every one of us say within himself: If our Lord hath been so reproachfully handled for my sake, if he have suffered so great torments and most grievous pains for the sins that I have committed, why should not I abase and despise myself, being the very person that hath sinned? God forbid, that I should ever presume any thing more of myself than of a most vile, and filthy dunghill, whose horrible stench even I myself cannot well abide. I am he that hath despised almighty God: I am he, that hath sought means to crucify him again upon the cross: and me thinketh that all the whole frame of this world crieth out with open voice against me: saying: This is he, that hath offended and despised our common Lord. This is that wicked and ungrateful wretched creature that hath rather been moved with the guileful baits of the devil, than with the great benefits of almighty God. This is he, that hath been more delighted with the malice of the devil, than with the bountiful goodness and favor of almighty God. This is he, that could never be induced to virtue and goodness with the fatherly loving cherishings, and entertainments of almighty God: neither could he ever be made afraid with his dreadful and terrible judgements. This is he, that hath (so much as lieth in him) defaced the power, wisdom, and goodness of almighty God, and brought them in contempt. This is he, that hath been more afraid to offend a seely weak man, than the omnipotency of God. This is he, that hath been more ashamed to commit a filthy act before a rude plough man of the country, than before the presence of almighty God. This is he, that hath rather loved, and chosen to enjoy a little stinking dung and mire here upon the earth, than the everlasting chief felicity in the kingdom of heaven. This is he, that hath fixed his eyes upon rotten, and corruptible creatures, and utterly neglected the creator. What shall I say more? There is nothing so filthy, nothing so abominable, that he hath refrained to commit in the presence of almighty God, without having any respect, or shame, of so great a majesty.”

– St. Bonaventure

That is the beginning of the virtue of Humility. And this is the result:

“O wonderful virtue! How great must thy riches be, seeing thou art thus commended to us! How can thy treasures be but notoriously known, seeing thou art by so many ways set out unto us! O humility, that art preached, and taught in all the whole life of our Savior Christ, sung, and praised by the mouth of his own most blessed mother! O most beautiful flower among virtues! O divine adamant, that drawest unto thee even the creator of all things! Whosoever he be that banisheth thee away, shall be banished away from almighty God, yea though he be in the highest place of heaven: And whosoever he be, that embraceth thee, shall be embraced of almighty God, yea although he be even the greatest sinner in the world. Great are thy graces, and marvelous are thy effects. Thou pleasest men: thou contentest the angels: thou confoundest the devils, and bindest the hands of the creator. Thou art the foundation of virtues, the death of vices, the glass of virgins, and the habitation of the most blessed trinity. Who so gathereth without thee, disperseth: who so buildeth, and not upon thee, pulleth down: And who so heapeth virtues together without thee, the dust carrieth them quite away before the face of the wind. Without thee the virgin is shut out of the gates of heaven, and with thee even the public sinner is received at the feet of Christ. Embrace this virtue of humility, O ye virgins, that hereby your virginity may be available unto you. Ye that be religious persons, see that you seek earnestly also for this virtue, for without it your religion is but vain, and to no purpose. And ye of the laity, seek no less for this virtue, than the religious do, that by the same ye may be delivered from the snares of this sinful world.”     

   – Venerable Louis of Granada

S.M.M.