# Verified against Divinum Officium (Latin Regula, English translation).
canonicalDate: "02-09"
label:
  la: "Cápite 7 Régulæ Sancti Patri Nostri Benedícti: De humilitáte"
  en: "The Rule of our Holy Father Benedict. Chapter 7: Concerning Humility. Continued."
text:
  la: |
    Duodécimus humilitátis gradus est, si non solum corde mónachus, sed étiam ipso córpore humilitátem vidéntibus se semper índicet, id est Opere Dei, in oratório, in monastério, in horto, in via, in agro vel ubicúmque sedens, ámbulans vel stans, inclináto sit semper cápite, defíxis in terram aspéctibus, reum se omni hora de peccátis suis ǽstimans jam se treméndo judício repræsentári ǽstimet, dicens sibi in corde semper illud, quod publicánus ille evangélicus fixis in terram óculis dixit: Dómine, non sum dignus, ego peccátor, leváre óculos meos ad cælos. Et item cum Prophéta: Incurvátus sum et humiliátus sum usquequáque. Ergo, his ómnibus humilitátis grádibus ascénsis, mónachus mox ad caritátem Dei pervéniet illam quæ perfécta foris mittit timórem, per quam univérsa quæ prius non sine formídine observábat absque ullo labóre velut naturáliter ex consuetúdine incípiet custodíre, non jam timóre gehénnæ, sed amóre Christi et consuetúdine ipsa bona et deectatióne virtútum. Quæ Dóminus jam in operárium suum mundum a vítiis et peccátis Spíritu Sancto dignábitur demonstráre.
  en: |
    The twelfth step in humility is if a monk not only be humble in heart, but also always in his very body evince humility to those who see him, that is, that in the Work of God, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on the road, in the field or elsewhere, sitting, walking, or standing, his head be always bent, his eyes cast down, accounting himself at all times as one convicted of his sins; and likewise accounting himself to be already presented before God’s awe-inspiring judgment, always in his heart saying to himself what that publican in the Gospel said with eyes fixed upon the ground: “Lord, I, the sinner, am not worthy to lift up mine eyes to heaven.” And again with the prophet: “Bowed and humbled am I on every side.”

    When then the monk shall have ascended all these steps in humility, he will presently arrive at that love of God which, being perfect, puts fear right outside; and by means of which all that formerly he could not observe but with much fearfulness he will begin to keep without any difficulty, as it were by habit become second nature, no longer through fear of hell, but for love of Christ and a certain good habit and delight in virtue, the which the Lord will deign to manifest by the Holy Spirit to His labourer now cleansed from vices and sins.
status:
  la: verified
  en: verified