De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae
Glorying in Weakness
The speaker resolves to glory in personal weakness so that Christ's power—humility—may be perfected, trusting that grace is sufficient and that the narrow path of humility leads safely to the breadth of love.
So I too, Lord Jesus, will gladly glory—if I can—in my weakness, in the withering of my sinew, so that your power, that is, humility, may be perfected in me.✦1 For your grace is sufficient for me, when my strength has failed.✦2 Setting my foot firmly in grace, and gently drawing along the one in me who is weak, I will climb safely up the ladder of humility, until, clinging to truth, I pass through to the breadth of love.3 Then I will sing with thanksgiving, and I will say: You have set my feet in a spacious place.✦
The Slow Sureness of the Lame Climb
The narrow way and the steep ladder are climbed more safely by limping slowly but surely toward truth.
So the narrow path is walked more cautiously when kept close in; so the steep ladder is climbed more safely step by step; so one draws near to truth in a wondrous way—more slowly, to be sure, but more surely—by limping along.✦
Lament and Longing for Wings
The speaker laments the prolonged sojourn in weakness, prays for dove's wings to fly swiftly to truth, and asks the Lord to lead in His way so that truth may bring freedom.
But alas for me, that my time of wandering has been prolonged!✦ Who will give me wings like a dove's, so that I may fly more swiftly to truth and at last rest in love?✦ Since these are lacking, lead me, Lord, in your way, and let me enter into your truth, and your truth will set me free.✦✦4
The Pain of Having Fallen
The speaker mourns the descent from a former spiritual height and recognizes that a careless fall made the labor of re-ascending so much longer and more grievous.
Alas for me, because I came down from that place. For if I had not first descended lightly and in vain, I would not have labored so long and so grievously in ascending.
Descent by Degrees, Not by Leaps
The speaker corrects the word 'descended' to 'fell,' then reflects that no one becomes utterly wicked at once but descends gradually, so that even paths that seem good can lead to evil.
But why do I say "I descended"? For perhaps I should more rightly have said, "I fell."5 Unless it's that, just as no one suddenly becomes utterly wicked, but descends gradually.6 Otherwise, how will that saying stand: "The wicked man is proud all the days of his life"?7 In the end, there are paths that seem good to people and yet lead to evil.
Read the original Latin
Libenter igitur et ego, Domine Iesu, gloriabor, si potero, in mea infirmitate, in mei nervi conctractione, ut tua virtus, id est humilitas, perficiatur in me. Nam Sufficit mihi gratia tua, cum defecerit virtus mea. Pedem profecto gratiae fortiter figens, et meum, qui infirmus est, leniter trahens, securus ascendam per scalam humilitatis, donec veritati adhaerens, ad latitudinem transeam caritatis. Tunc psallam cum gratiarum actione, et dicam: Statuisti in loco spatioso pedes meos. Sic arcta via cautius strictim inceditur, sic ardua scala tutius pedetentim ascenditur, sic miro modo ad veritatem, licet pigrius, tamen firmius claudicando acceditur. Sed heu mihi, quia incolatus meus prolongatus est! Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbae, quibus celerius volem ad veritatem, ut iam requiescam in caritate? Quae quoniam desunt, deduc me, Domine, in via tua, et ingrediar in veritate tua, et verita liberabit me.
Vae mihi quod de illa descendi. Nisi enim prius leviter, inaniter descendissem, in ascendendo tamdiu, tam graviter non laborassem.
Sed quid dico: "descendi"? Nam fortasse rectius "cecidi" dixerim. Nisi quia forte, sicut nemo repente fit pessimus, sed paulatim descendit. Alioquin quomodo stabit illud: Impius cunctis diebus vitae suae superbit? Denique sunt viae, quae videntur hominibus bonae et tamen ad malum deducunt.
Scripture echoes
- ↩2Cor.12.9 — And he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So most gladly I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
- ↩2Cor.12.9 — And he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So most gladly I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
- ↩Ps.31.8;Ps.31.9 — I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love, for you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul. Ps.31.9 — But you have not shut me up in the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.
- ↩Matt.7.14 — Because the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
- ↩Ps.120.5;Ps.120.5 — Woe is me, for I have sojourned in Meshech; I have dwelt among the tents of Kedar. Ps.120.5 — Woe is me, for I have sojourned in Meshech; I have dwelt among the tents of Kedar.
- ↩Ps.55.6;Ps.55.7 — Fear and trembling came upon me, and horror overwhelmed me. Ps.55.7 — And I say, "Who will give me wings like a dove? I would fly away and be at rest."
- ↩John.8.32 — And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
- ↩Ps.143.10;Ps.143.10 — Teach me to do your will, for you are your God; let your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Ps.143.10 — Teach me to do your will, for you are your God; let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Notes
- 1 ↩nervus rendered 'sinew' (physical weakness/affliction) rather than 'nerve'; conctractione normalized from variant spelling to contractione, rendered 'withering' to capture the sense of shriveling or wasting away of the afflicted member.
- 2 ↩cum with subjunctive defecerit most likely temporal ('when my strength has failed'), though a causal or concessive reading is possible; temporal chosen as most natural in context.
- 3 ↩donec with subjunctive transeam most likely temporal ('until I pass through') rather than purpose; context favors temporal reading.
- 4 ↩verita is a variant form of veritas; rendered as 'truth' per lexeme policy. The final clause echoes John 8:32 ('the truth will set you free').
- 5 ↩dixerim is a potential subjunctive, rendered as 'I should have said' to capture the self-correcting tone.
- 6 ↩Nisi quia forte is rendered as 'Unless it is that' to preserve the concessive-causal force: the speaker qualifies the self-correction by noting that moral decline is typically gradual, not sudden.
- 7 ↩Impius cunctis diebus vitae suae superbit — likely an allusion to a scriptural or liturgical source; candidate status pending Moses resolution.
De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae (On the Steps of Humility and Pride) companion
Humility is climbed one day at a time
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