St. Benedict’s 12 Degrees of Humility Fear God, remember his commands Love God’s will, not your own will Subject yourself to a superior Accept hard times with patience and even temper Confess to someone your sins Be Content, know that you fail God

St. Benedict’s 12 Degrees of Humility Declare and believe you are the worst Only do what you are told Do not speak until spoken to Keep emotions in check. Speak with quiet voice and few words. Outward actions reflect inward reality

Matthew 23:3b (ESV) — For they preach, but do not practice.

“Take heed, therefore, to yourselves first, that you be that which you persuade your hearers to be, and believe that which you persuade them to believe. . . . It is a palpable error of some ministers, who make such a disproportion between their teaching and their living; who study hard to preach exactly, and study little or not at all to live exactly. . . . We must study as hard how to live well, as how to preach well. —Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor

Matthew 23:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

Matthew 23:4 (ESV) — They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

Galatians 6:2 (ESV) — Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Hosea 6:6 (ESV) — For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Matthew 9:13 (ESV) — Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 12:7 (ESV) — And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV) — 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 5:17–20 (ESV) — 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Philippians 2:8 (ESV) — And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Matthew 23:5–12 (ESV) — 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others Matthew 23:5–12 (ESV) — 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

11 The greatest among you shall be your servant 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Matthew 6:1 (ESV) — “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 23:12 (ESV) — Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

“There is but one way in which God should be loved, and that is to take no step except with Him and for Him, and to follow, with a generous self-abandonment, everything which He requires.” — Francois Fenelon, Catholic Theologian