Echoes from the Bell Tower

The seventh step of humility is that a monk not only
admits with his tongue but is convinced in his heart
that he is inferior to all and of less value.
Rule of Saint Benedict 7.51

Much of the Rule of St. Benedict encourages and challenges us in the monastic life. Yet the verse above from RB 7, the chapter on humility, can sound harsh to modern ears, even humiliating. What are we to make of it?

A key principle to keep in mind when reading ancient texts - Benedict wrote his Rule around the year 530 - is context. One of Benedict’s constant concerns, especially in his chapter on humility, is harmony within the community. Step seven of his “ladder of humility” reminds us how easily we put our own needs and desires ahead of others. Pride grows from our instinctive need to feel safe. When we don’t feel secure, we grasp for control, esteem, or admiration so we can feel valuable. But that kind of security is fragile and fleeting; it must be constantly revived.

Benedict points us instead to the only lasting source of security: knowing we are loved by God. Context make this clear. Just before the difficult line, Benedict quotes Psalm 72(73): “I am insignificant...yet I am with you always.” Immediately after, he cites Psalm 118(119): “I was exalted, and then I was humbled...it is a blessing that you humbled me.” Why? So that I may learn God’s commandments. This message is simple: God’s steady presence grounds us, when we’re feeling secure and when our self-perception wavers.

If I am overly pleased with myself, I am not ready to learn. If I seek recognition more than understanding, to be served more than to serve, I set myself up for disappointment and even resentment. This can lead to what Benedict abhors more than anything in the community - division, discord, and disharmony.

When each member of the community puts others before themselves, everyone is lifted up. Humility becomes the safeguard to our unity, and unity reflects God’s own life - one God in three persons. Created to live, move, and have our being in that divine likeness, humility is the disposition that allows us to resemble Christ and to share in harmony of God’s divine life.