Quotes

A collection of scriptural meditations from Saints and Fathers of the Church.

Humility

The virtue opposed to pride is humility. But as far as pride is loathsome and abominable, so welcome and lovely is humility to God and men. God Who is great and exalted looks on nothing so lovely as on an humble and compunctionate heart. Whence even the Most Holy Theotokos says of herself, For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden. (Luke 1:48).

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

Desires

Control your appetites before they control you.

St. John Climacus

Humility

Behold, this is the true and the Christian humility. In this you will be able to achieve victory over every vice, by attributing to God rather than to yourself the fact that you have won.

St. Martin of Braga

Humility

It seems to me that, in all cases when indignity is offered to us, we should be silent; for it is our moment of profit.

St. John Climacus

Humility

The Christian needs two wings in order to soar upward and attain Paradise: humility and love.

St. Cosmas of Aitolos

Scriptures

The Scriptures were not given merely that we might have them in books, but that we might engrave them on our hearts.

St. John Chrysostom

Humility

Our achievements must never loom large in our eyes; only our failures. But this must never lead us to despondency - the constant temptation - only to humility.

St. Macarius of Optina

Humility

If the humbling of oneself before men is needful that one might be exalted before God, and temporal toil is the prerequisite of immortal life, what does it matter if some shake their heads and laugh at your self-abasement?

St. Nikolai Velimirovic

Humility

He who seeks glory from men travels by the path of pride, but he who seeks glory from God travels by the path of humility.

St. Nikolai Velimirovic

Humility

In the humble God rejoices, but from the proud He is driven away; where there is humility, the glory of God shines forth.

Elder Hilarion of Sarov and Valaam

Scriptures

Put aside bodily considerations when you stand in prayer, lest the bite of a flea, a gnat or a fly deprive you of the greatest gain afforded by prayer.

St. Nilus of Sinai

Humility

Labor to acquire meekness. Concerning the heavenly virtues, meekness and humility, the Lord Himself teaches us, saying: Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matt. 11:29). Learn not from angels, nor from men, but from Me, He says; that is, from the higher wisdom.

St. Nazarius of Valaam

Humility

Not one of us can boast of having acquired humility: our actions, the whole of our life, prove the contrary. And where there is a lack of humility, pride is always present. Where light is wanting, darkness reigns.

St. Macarius of Optina

Humility

Humility never falls, for it lies beneath everything.

St. Paisius Velichkovsky

Humility

When we are incapable of scaling the peaks of virtue, all we have to do is to descend into the ravine of humility. Our humility is our surest intercessor before the face of the Lord.

St. Macarius of Optina

Humility

The way of humility is this: self-control, prayer, and thinking yourself inferior to all creatures.

Abba Tithoes

Humility

A certain elder was asked when one attains humility. 'When he remembers his sins continuously,' he replied.

The Desert Fathers

Humility

When it is needful that a person be humbled, then not only the Superior, the sisters, strangers and near ones, but even all creation, according to the words of St. Isaac the Syrian, will rise up against that person.

St. Anatoly of Optina

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Control your appetites before they control you.

Behold, this is the true and the Christian humility. In this you will be able to achieve victory over every vice, by attributing to God rather than to yourself the fact that you have won.

It seems to me that, in all cases when indignity is offered to us, we should be silent; for it is our moment of profit.

The Christian needs two wings in order to soar upward and attain Paradise: humility and love.

The Scriptures were not given merely that we might have them in books, but that we might engrave them on our hearts.

Our achievements must never loom large in our eyes; only our failures. But this must never lead us to despondency - the constant temptation - only to humility.

If the humbling of oneself before men is needful that one might be exalted before God, and temporal toil is the prerequisite of immortal life, what does it matter if some shake their heads and laugh at your self-abasement?

He who seeks glory from men travels by the path of pride, but he who seeks glory from God travels by the path of humility.

In the humble God rejoices, but from the proud He is driven away; where there is humility, the glory of God shines forth.

Put aside bodily considerations when you stand in prayer, lest the bite of a flea, a gnat or a fly deprive you of the greatest gain afforded by prayer.

Not one of us can boast of having acquired humility: our actions, the whole of our life, prove the contrary. And where there is a lack of humility, pride is always present. Where light is wanting, darkness reigns.

Humility never falls, for it lies beneath everything.

When we are incapable of scaling the peaks of virtue, all we have to do is to descend into the ravine of humility. Our humility is our surest intercessor before the face of the Lord.

The way of humility is this: self-control, prayer, and thinking yourself inferior to all creatures.

A certain elder was asked when one attains humility. 'When he remembers his sins continuously,' he replied.

When it is needful that a person be humbled, then not only the Superior, the sisters, strangers and near ones, but even all creation, according to the words of St. Isaac the Syrian, will rise up against that person.

St. John Climacus

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