De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae
Cleansing the Heart's Edge
Repentance, desire for justice, and works of mercy cleanse the heart from ignorance, weakness, and misguided zeal, opening the way to contemplation.
So in these three things already mentioned — the grief of repentance, the desire for justice, and the works of mercy — if they persevere in them, they cleanse the keen edge of the heart from the three obstacles they have contracted, whether through ignorance, weakness, or misguided zeal, so that through contemplation they may pass on to the third step of truth.
The Illusion of Excuse
Those who cloak sin in weakness or ignorance deceive themselves, as shown by Adam's blame-shifting and the willful blindness of Stephen's persecutors.
These are the ways that seem good to men — at least to those who rejoice when they have done evil, and exult in the worst of things, and cloak themselves behind weakness or ignorance to excuse their excuses in sin. But they flatter themselves in vain about their weakness or ignorance, the very things that let them sin more freely — they choose not to know, or they let themselves grow weak. Do you think it profited the first man — even though he did not sin willingly — that he defended himself through his wife, as if through the weakness of the flesh?✦ Or will the stoners of the first Martyr be excused through ignorance, since they stopped their own ears?✦
Truth Stripped and Then Armed
Those who now ignore truth in her humble coming will later face her in terrifying judgment, recognizing too late the One they refused to serve.
So then, those who know they've been cut off from truth by their own eagerness and love for sinning, weighed down by weakness and ignorance — let them turn their zeal into groaning, their love into grief; let them drive away the weakness of the flesh with the fire of justice, and ignorance with generosity. Otherwise, if now they ignore truth when she comes to them needy, stripped bare, and defenseless, they'll recognize her too late — when she arrives with great power and authority, terrifying and accusing — and they'll know her only with shame, and answer her only in vain, trembling: "When did we see you in need, and not minister to you?"12 Surely the Lord will be recognized as the one who renders judgment — He who is now ignored while He pleads for mercy.3 And in the end they will look upon the One they pierced; likewise, the greedy will see the One they despised.✦4
The Pure Eye and the Three Steps
Weeping, hunger, and mercy cleanse the inner eye to behold God, as the soul ascends through humility, compassion, and contemplation to see truth purely.
From every stain, then, and from weakness, ignorance, and contracted zeal, the eye of the heart is cleansed by weeping for justice, by hungering, by persisting in works of mercy — the eye that Truth promises to show itself to, in its own purity, for it to see: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they themselves will see God.✦ Since there are, then, three steps — or states — of Truth, we ascend to the first through the labor of humility, to the second through the feeling of compassion, and to the third through the ecstasy of contemplation. In the first, truth is found strictly; in the second, mercifully; in the third, purely. Reason leads to the first, by which we examine ourselves; affection leads to the second, by which we have mercy on others; purity snatches us to the third, by which we are raised up to invisible things.
Read the original Latin
In his ergo tribus quae dicta sunt, id est in luctu paenitentiae, in desiderio iustitiae, in operibus misericordiae si perseverant, a tribus impedimentis, quae aut ignorantia, aut infirmitate, aut studio contraxerunt, cordis aciem mundant, quo per contemplationem ad tertium veritatis gradum pertranseant.
Hae sunt viae, quae videntur hominibus bonae, illis dumtaxat qui laetentur cum male fecerint, et exsultant in rebus pessimi, ac se de infirmitate vel ignorantia tegunt ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis. Sed frustra sibi de infirmitate vel ignorantia blandiuntur, quo ut liberius peccent, libenter ignorant vel infirmantur. Putas primo homini profuit, licet ipse non libenter peccavit, quod se per uxorem, tamquam per carnis infirmitatem, defendit? Aut primi Martyris lapidatores, quoniam aures suas continuerunt, per ignorantiam excusabiles erunt?
Qui igitur studio et amore peccandi a veritate se sentiunt alienatos, infirmate et ignorantia pressos, studium in gemitum, amorem in maerorem convertant, infirmitatem carnis fervore iustitiae, ignorantiam liberalitate repellant, ne si nunc egentem, nudam, infirmam veritatem ignorant, cum potestate magna et virtute venientem, terrentem, arguentem, sero cum rubore cognoscant, frustra cum tremore respondeant; Quando te vidimus egere, et non ministravimus tibi? Cognoscetur certe Dominus iudicia faciens, qui nunc ignoratur misericordiam quaerens. Denique videbunt in quem transfixerunt, similiter et avari quem contempserunt.
Ab omni ergo labe, infirmitate, ignorantia, studiove contracta, flendo iustitiam esuriendo, operibus misericordiae insistendo, mundatur oculus cordis, cui se in sui puritate videndam Veritas promittit: Beati enim mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt. Cum sint itaque tres gradus seu status veritatis, ad primum ascendimus per laborem humilitatis, ad secundum per affectum compassionis, ad tertium per excessum contemplationis. In primo veritas reperitur severe; in secundo pia, in tertio pura. Ad primum ratio ducit, qua nos discutimus; ad secundum affectus perducit, quo aliis miseremur; ad tertium puritas rapit, qua ad invisibilia sublevamur.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Gen.3.12 — The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate."
- ↩Acts.7.57 — But they cried out with a loud voice, held their ears shut, and rushed together against him.
- ↩John.19.37 — And again another Scripture says, 'They will look on the one they pierced.'
- ↩Matt.5.8 — Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Notes
- 1 ↩Veritas (Truth) is personified here as a woman in need — needy, bare, weak — echoing Christ's identification with the least of His brethren (Mt 25:44–45). The shift from this vulnerable image to Truth arriving in power and judgment is deliberate and theologically significant.
- 2 ↩"Quando te vidimus egere, et non ministravimus tibi?" echoes Matthew 25:44. Status: candidate, pending Moses resolution.
- 3 ↩The paradox: the Lord who now seeks mercy (misericordiam quaerens) will be revealed as judge. The participle 'quaerens' suggests an active, present seeking — Christ's intercession or the Church's appeal — that is currently disregarded.
- 4 ↩"Videbunt in quem transfixerunt" echoes John 19:37 / Zechariah 12:10. Status: candidate, pending Moses resolution.
De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae (On the Steps of Humility and Pride) companion
Humility is climbed one day at a time
Take the next step each morning with a free daily devotional in Chosen Portion.
Bernard frames humility as a ladder climbed by small repeated acts; Chosen Portion turns that into practice with one daily devotional step at a time.
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