Dolcis Humus

Humility. Comes from the Latin word "humus" meaning ground or soil. It's no coincedence that this virtue is related to the closest aspect of the earth we can know. In our eyes it's so dirty, but it's actually quite clean for it is that which in its nature it was meant to be and that makes it clean. If it wasn't "dirty" it wouldn't be dirt. This filth we call dirt, though gravely misunderstood, is essential to the foundation of the earth. It is what holds the world together, produces vegetation and gives our feet a place to stand. Without it, we would not have the beautiful world we see around us. What great lessons we can learn from this dirt in the spiritual life. Humility is the spiritual "dirt" that keeps our souls vegetated. This most rejected virtue does so much for the soul that we often do not give it enough credit. It builds character in ways no other virtue can. As St. Thomas More said "Humility,[is] that low, sweet root, [f]rom which all heavenly virtues shoot." This we must remember when dirt shows itself beneath the "souls" of our feet. Let's put our face a bit closer to the ground and examine with eyes of faith this heavenly dirt we call humility.
Humility has a funny way of befriending herself to us. In order to come close to her she'll ask us to trek down paths we do not wish to follow. One of these paths is called the via humilis, also known as the way of humiliation. How challenging a road this is goes without saying. You'll often see people falling over their feet, forgetting where they're going, or having to ask for directions, even the men! To those who risk their pride to follow humilities sweet trails, great blessings are accorded. Without the eyes of faith, this truth appears as foolishness; why should anyone become lowly and admit they need help? Yet, through these simple sufferings of humilation comes self awareness. Through this self awareness the sojourner learns the secret to true happiness, this being that he is nothing and needs Almighty God to take him and transform him into another image of Christ. For to know and imitate Christ is the key to eternal joy. But to imitate Christ is to imitate humility.
To give an example of exactly what humility does to a person I want to relate the life of a very holy man, St. Augustine. St. Augustine was not always the saint we remember him as. He was quite the pagan. In point of fact, it was he who said "Lord make me chaste, but not yet." This man was a great sinner, living an immoral life most people today could relate with. Yet over time he was humbled. However it wasn't through the humiliations of the body that he was humbled, rather, it was through the humilitation of the mind that his pride found its match. This type of humiliation, which Augustine's personality demanded, is an advanced form of humility since it is like a magnifying glass upon our conceited ego. It is more painful than the bodily forms of humiliation since it touches our very person, that is, our soul and hence it is more acute. It shows us as we are without the rose coloured glasses. But St. Augustine, through much grace, embraced this humility with open arms and from that moment he fought his pride by taking on the yoke of Christ thus becoming what we know him as today, St. Augustine, Doctor and Father of the Church. Humility can do so much to help us if we let her.
Yes, this admittance of who we are is most purifying and most people prefer not to follow the path of humility for this reason; but, to those who persevere, many great blessings are received. The shackles we love to carry will be taken from us and we will experience life as the birds of the heavens. Our spirits will fly upward towards our Eternal Father who will then vouchsafe to grant us further blessings depending on our response to His graces. A warning to those who do not know the way of humility, do not think that once you've made progress in humilty that life will get easy. Humility only strengthens the soul to further take on greater challenges. The climax in the life of those who wish to truly walk this walk comes with its total conquering of our person, body and soul at the stake of losing everything we hold dear. Be courageous but be forewarned.
In order to continue on this road, we must reflect upon the life of Christ. He will be the One who takes us further on this road than we ever could if left to ourselves. He is Humility Incarnate and He is the Way we must follow if we want to become humble. Let us then not scorn this dirt which we see surround us, this dirt that is good and teaches us both how to be, where to trod and Who to follow. She holds in her bosom the secret to finding the way to eternal happiness. So let us listen, for God's holy dirt speaks to us. In sweet humility may we die...+