OCTAVUS GRADUS: DE DEFENSIONE PECCATORUM
The Many Excuses of the Proud Heart
The proud soul, rather than confessing sin, multiplies excuses—denying the act, minimizing the fault, or shifting blame—and thus never humbly reveals hidden thoughts to the abbot.
There are indeed many ways that excuses are made for sins. The person who makes excuses says things like: "I didn't do it," or "I did it, but I did it well," or if it was done badly, "Not very badly," or if very badly, "Not with a bad intention." But if someone is also convicted of that sin, as Adam or Eve was, they still try to excuse themselves by pointing to another's persuasion. But when would someone who brazenly defends even open sins ever humbly reveal to the abbot the hidden and wicked thoughts arising in their heart?
Read the original Latin
Multis vero modis fiunt excusationes in peccatis. Aut enim dicit qui se excusat: "Non feci", aut: "Feci quidem, sed bene feci", aut si male "Non multum male"; aut si multum male; "Non mala intentione". Si autem et de illa, sicut Adam vel Eva, convincitur, aliena suasione, excusare se nititur. Sed qui procaciter etiam aperta defendit, quando occultas et malas cogitationes, cordi suo advenientes, humiliter revelaret abbati?
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.
- A daily 10-minute portion focused on one virtue at a time
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