Sunday, August 02, 2009

Love your own insignificance…

“Be careful to give no credit to yourself for anything; if you do so, you are stealing from God, to whom alone every good thing is due. Strive to be lowly, to love your own insignificance, and to be ready to accept contempt and disgrace in defiance of human nature, which always longs for success and celebrity. This is the means beyond all other to become the servant of God, and to draw down the special blessing of heaven upon all your labour.”

St. Vincent de Paul, Some Counsels of St. Vincent de Paul, tr. E.K. Sanders, with thanks to Gerry Straub

I couldn’t have found a more perfect complement to my post of yesterday if I’d tried!

1 comment:

Jamie Arpin-Ricci said...

Nothing like pastoring to keep this lesson front in center. I guess I never thought to be thankful for some of the grief I'm given, but this might paint it in a new light.