Mother Teresa's Humility List

[franciscanlady]

I am not sure where I first saw this posted but if there is a thread on this already, please forgive me.

[b] Mother Teresa gave these rules to her Sisters to help them develop the virtue of humility:[/b]

1. Speak as little as possible about yourself.
2. Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others.
3. Avoid curiosity.
4. Do not interfere in the affairs of others.
5. Accept small irritations with good humor.
6. Do not dwell on the faults of others.
7. Accept censures even if unmerited.
8. Give in to the will of others.
9. Accept insults and injuries.
10. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded.
11. Accept injuries and insults.
12. Be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone.
13. Do not seek to be admired and loved.
14. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.
15. Give in, in discussions, even when you are right.
16. Always choose the more difficult task.

Boy do I have lots of work to do!

[emmaberry]

[quote name='franciscanlady' timestamp='1341291567' post='2451833']
Boy do I have lots of work to do!
[/quote]

Ditto.

[OnlySunshine]

Same here.

[PhuturePriest]

This is just splendid since I am excellent when it comes to not talking about myself.

Seriously, I'm dead.

[Spem in alium]

[quote name='franciscanlady' timestamp='1341291567' post='2451833']
Boy do I have lots of work to do!
[/quote]

Me too. This will keep me very busy.

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='franciscanlady' timestamp='1341291567' post='2451833']
I am not sure where I first saw this posted but if there is a thread on this already, please forgive me.

[b] Mother Teresa gave these rules to her Sisters to help them develop the virtue of humility:[/b]

1. Speak as little as possible about yourself.
2. Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others.
3. Avoid curiosity.
4. Do not interfere in the affairs of others.
5. Accept small irritations with good humor.
6. Do not dwell on the faults of others.
7. Accept censures even if unmerited.
8. Give in to the will of others.
9. Accept insults and injuries.
10. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded.
11. Accept injuries and insults.
12. Be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone.
13. Do not seek to be admired and loved.
14. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.
15. Give in, in discussions, even when you are right.
16. Always choose the more difficult task.

Boy do I have lots of work to do!
[/quote]

Thanks for posting this!

[beatitude]

I need to print this out and put it by my bed.

[emmaberry]

[quote name='beatitude' timestamp='1341319702' post='2451896']
I need to print this out and put it by my bed.
[/quote]

Amen! In a sad attempt to emulate these, I put them as my phone background, but they made me feel guilty so I started ignoring them. By the bed would probably be better, because you could reflect before sleep on the day, etc.


And there I go breaking #1.

[AveMariaPurissima]

Thank you so much for posting this! I'll have to print it out and keep it somewhere handy.

Edited July 3, 2012 by AveMariaPurissima

[Blessed&Grateful]

[quote name='beatitude' timestamp='1341319702' post='2451896']
I need to print this out and put it by my bed.
[/quote]

same and #7 whoah....that is a constant struggle for me.

[Spem in alium]

[quote name='franciscanlady' timestamp='1341291567' post='2451833']
14. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.
[/quote]

Please forgive my lack of understanding, but what exactly is meant by this?

[Blessed&Grateful]

[quote name='Spem in alium' timestamp='1341352535' post='2452134']
Please forgive my lack of understanding, but what exactly is meant by this?
[/quote]

I take it to mean a Christ-like humility which requires we open ourselves up to everything even "lowering" oneself to lowest of the low.

[Spem in alium]

[quote name='Blessed&Grateful' timestamp='1341361047' post='2452169']
I take it to mean a Christ-like humility which requires we open ourselves up to everything even "lowering" oneself to lowest of the low.
[/quote]

Ah! Thanks for the explanation; I understand now. Indeed, that would be a very humble thing to do

[Indwelling Trinity]

I remember Mother Teresa teaching this to us as novices.She often tested us in humility and had our Mistresses do the same.

Humility is a life time challenge and learning process: for the "self" or false ego does not completely die until they shoveling dirt over us.. For my self i continue to strive even as i fall. The rest i leave to the infinite mercy of God's tender love.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

What a wise and wonderful list! I'm going to have to make a copy.

I was so smug, stubborn, and far from God that he allowed almost all the things I depended on, or was smug about. to be taken away from me: among others, my marriage, my health, my job--and now I am learning that I will have even less income to live on in the future than I expected. Even volunteering, which I loved to do, was taken away for health reasons. Slowly I realized that there was nowhere to turn but to God. I find this very scary much of the time, and I am still in the dark as to what God intends for me and why He has allowed all this to happen.

Even with all that has happened to me, and how much I have changed, I am still SO far from that list. The list alone is humbling!

I caution people to try to learn humility by their own choice (with God's help), starting as young as possible, because when God sees that you are so far "gone" that he allows circumstances to teach you humility against your will, it is very painful. However, I confess, the "painful way" has caused the lessons to finally, truly start to "stick" for someone as stubborn as myself.