An unknown philosopher said that humility is the ability to "step on one's own throat". Is this skill necessary in modern realities? The gospel tells us that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. From which it can be assumed that these two traits of human character are opposite to each other.
In church traditions there are a great many stories about saints and holy fools who cannot be called either humble or meek in relation to others. For example, St. Basil the Blessed often threw stones, once he broke the icon of the Mother of God. What is humility, patience and meekness? Are these qualities needed today and how to acquire them - read about this in the article.
Pattern of humility
Seraphim of Sarov said:
Acquire the spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.
An elderly man living alone in the forest was attacked by robbers. Grandfather was badly beaten, although he did not repair any obstacles to the robbers and did not even swear. They took away the most valuable thing - a small icon of the Virgin insilver salary. The beaten owner was left to die. But the Lord did not leave the victim of the robbers: having recovered a little from the beatings, the old man managed to reach the monastery. It was the famous Sarov miracle worker Seraphim.
The elder entered the temple during the liturgy. The brethren of the monastery were horrified at his sight. His head was crushed, his ribs were broken, his torn clothes were smeared with dirt and bloodstains. The abbot sent to the city for doctors, but no one hoped for a miracle, it seemed that Seraphim's near death was inevitable.
Appearance of the Mother of God
For a week the old man could not eat or sleep, suffering terribly from pain. On the eighth day the saint was vouchsafed the appearance of the Mother of God with the apostles. After the vision, he quickly recovered, but the effects of the beating remained for life.
The hooligans were soon caught, but the saint did not make claims against them and asked them not to punish him, seeing the will of God in this attack. The abbot was against such generosity and demanded to deal with the robbers to the fullest extent of the law, but the elder threatened him to leave the monastery and move to another monastery.
The abbot had to accept, although he believed that the robbers, feeling impunity, would go all out. But the Lord put everything in its place. The huts of the robbers soon burned down, they understood everything correctly and came to the elder to beg for forgiveness. Meek Seraphim blessed and forgave them. By this act, the elder undoubtedly saved not only their bodies, but also their souls from punishment.
Seraphim of Sarov is a role model,he is revered by the people. The elder taught those who came to him meekness. Prayers for humility and patience to Seraphim of Sarov:
Oh, great servant of God, reverend and God-bearing Father Seraphim! Look from the Mountain of glory on us, humble and weak, burdened with many sins, asking for your help and comfort. Come close to us with your mercy and help us to keep the commandments of the Lord immaculately, keep the Orthodox faith firmly, repentance for our sins diligently bring God, in the piety of Christians prosper gracefully and are worthy of being your prayerful intercession to God for us.
Hey, holy God, hear us praying to you with faith and love and do not despise us demanding your intercession: now and at the hour of our death, help us and intercede with your prayers from the evil slanders of the devil, but do not possess us of those strength, but may we be honored with your help to inherit the bliss of the abode of paradise.
We now place our hope in you, good-hearted father: wake us truly to salvation as a guide and lead us to the non-evening light of Eternal Life by your God-pleasing intercession at the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity, may we praise and sing with all the saints the venerable name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
In addition, the saint taught to endure all hardships and sorrows with joy. A person's life flies by unnoticed, and eternity follows it. And how we live our days depends on what awaits us beyond the line. The Lord allows trials to make people stronger in spirit, to teach compassion and mutual assistance. The Apostle spoke of this inGalatians 6:2: "Carry one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ." To learn to accept everything sent from above with joy, you need to read prayers for humility, patience and meekness.
Sorrow and grumbling
When unpleasant events happen in a person's life, illness, lack of money or loss, you need to understand that all this is sent from above to save the soul. Sounds strange, but it's true. If you accept all events with gratitude, learn from them and strive to correct your life, any grief will not be so deep.
How important it is to read prayers for humility and patience, says Archpriest Alexander Berezovsky in the video.
But when a person begins to grumble, blame others or God for all his troubles, his salvation is postponed indefinitely. Indignation, rejection of one's cross is one of the manifestations of the mortal sin of pride. Any endured test loses its meaning as soon as murmuring begins. The opposite quality is patience. It is not easy to master it, but everything is possible with God, so you need to turn to it.
Prayer for humility and patience:
Father of mercy and God of all comfort! I call on you in the name of Jesus Christ to grant me true Christian patience. Arm me with it against every tribulation, so that I may be patient in it, for it is very precious. Make me ready to take up the cross of Christ upon myself, bear it patiently, and stand firmly under it to the end. Cast away from me every grumbling and every annoyance of the flesh against the weight of the cross andthe length of time it. Stand, O beloved Jesus, with Your patience under the cross and on the cross, stand before my eyes and my heart, so that by contemplating You I may be encouraged and strengthened to constantly endure everything. Do it, O patient Savior, so that I do not become weary in my spirit, but in patience, let me enter through suffering and sorrow into the Kingdom of God. I need to have patience so that, having done the will of God, I can receive the promise. I ask him from You, kindly fulfill my request!
The Parable of the Two Angels
Two angels asked to spend the night in a rich house. The hosts, contemptuously pursing their lips, let them into the cold basement, not even offering to have dinner. One angel settled down for the night on the cold earthen floor, while the other began to close up a hole in the brickwork.
The next night they were allowed to spend the night in a poor hut, standing on the outskirts of the village. The hosts treated the angels to a modest dinner and put them closer to the stove. In the morning, the owners could hardly hold back their sobs: at night, their only breadwinner, a cash cow, died in the barn.
The younger inexperienced angel asked the older one: “Why is the world so unfair? didn't you help them?"
To which the second angel replied: "In the old basement, a pot with gold coins is hidden. Sooner or later, the wall will collapse completely, and the miser will increase his we alth. And Death came to the peasants at night, wanted to takeowner's wife. I persuaded her to take a cow instead of a woman."
The point of the story is that most people are unaware of the true state of things. Worrying about the loss of property, you need to thank God that loved ones are alive and well. It is difficult to overcome oneself and learn not to grieve for the lost, but prayers for humility and patience addressed to the Most Holy Theotokos will help in this:
Assuage the disease of my many-sighing soul, which has quenched every tear from the face of the earth: You drive away people's illnesses and resolve sinful sorrows, You gain all hope and affirmation, Blessed Mother Virgin! You intercede to all, Good, resorting with faith to Your sovereign protection: otherwise, the imams are not sinners to God in troubles and sorrows for ever deliverance, burden the sins of many, Mother of God the Most High! We bow to the same Thee: deliver Thy servants from every circumstance! No one who flows to You is put to shame and proceeds from You, most pure Mother of God Virgin: but asks for grace and accepts the gift for a useful petition. Fulfill, Pure, joy my heart, Your imperishable joy, giving birth to Guilty joy! Fill my heart with joy, Devo, who accepts fulfillment of joy, consumes sinful sorrow!
Family life and service to others
Such qualities as humility, patience, meekness and the ability to forgive are indispensable in marriage. The family is a cross, a service to a spouse, children and elderly parents. Pride and irascibility poison life in marriage, and sometimes lead to irreversible consequences. Any conflict in the family should be resolved calmly,with a cool head, without scandals and assault. However, it is not always possible to hold back.
Prayer for humility and patience in the family of St. John of Kronstadt will help:
Oh, meek and humble in heart Creator, Life-giver, Redeemer, our Feeder and Guardian, Lord Jesus! Teach us love, meekness and humility by Your Holy Spirit and strengthen us in these virtues most dear to You, may Your rich gifts not puff up our hearts, let us not imagine that we feed, content and support anyone: You are the common breadwinner of all - nourish, satisfy and keep; all are content and rest under the wings of Your goodness, generosity and benevolence, and not under ours, for we ourselves have the need to hide in the shadow of Your wings, every moment of our life. Our eyes are fixed on You, our God, like the eyes of a servant in the hand of the Lord, the eyes of a slave in the hand of her mistress, until you have mercy on us. Amen.
Patience is the salvation of the soul
Not everyone is able to endure difficulties, getting up after each blow of fate. The Lord is well aware of the weak human nature, so He helps us if we ask. Below is another prayer for humility and patience of spirit:
Praise to Thee, Father of Mercy and God of all comfort, that You never leave Thy sufferers without visitation and consolation. Punish - you punish them, but you do not put them to death; although you are often their hidden God, you are their Savior. Imprint this consolation, O Lord, in my heart and show it true over me when disasterclose, but there is no assistant. Be my light when I sit in darkness; make the knowledge of my sins and what they deserve produce in me true humility and patience. Strengthen, when trouble comes, faith in me, as in Jacob, so that I fight and do not let You go until You bless me. Make sure that I do not run away from You in suffering, O my Shepherd, but that my courage increases, and I become more zealous for Your prayer and praise. Open my mind so that I may understand the Scriptures, learn Your ways from it, and in true silence of heart, completely and completely surrender to You, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord! Amen.
The first Christians during periods of persecution experienced terrible torture and did not give up. In our time, there is no such cruelty towards believers, but there are a lot of temptations. Confronting the world is incredibly difficult, our life is like a carousel: home, work, children. Short holidays at sea or in front of the TV. An endless stream of information makes a person incapable of prayer, thinking about the meaning of life. Today it is much more difficult to save our souls than in the first centuries after the birth of Christ. Therefore, you need to stop, at least for a minute, read a prayer for humility and patience. The Lord will surely help.
