Humility is the guardian and the ornament of all virtues. If the spiritual building does not rest upon it, it will fall to ruin, though it seems to be growing. This virtue filled Francis in a more copious abundance, so that nothing should be wanting to a man adorned with so many gifts. In his own opinion, he was nothing but a sinner, despite the fact that he was the ornament and splendor of all sanctity. He tried to build himself up upon this virtue, so that he would lay the foundation he had learned from Christ [Matthew 11:29]. Forgetting the things he had gained, he set before his eyes only his failings in the conviction that he lacked more than he had gained. (Celano, Second Life of St. Francis, 140)
Humility is basic to every virtue: it never forgets that every gift comes from God, and it is always open to growth. In his early twenties Francis kissed a leper; the poor man of Assisi’s humility was even greater in his mid-forties. He told the friars that he had done what was his to do, and he assured them that the Lord would teach them what was theirs to do.
—from the book Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi
by Pat McCloskey, OFM
