Thoughts on Humility – Elder Thaddeus

God is a mystery to all beings.  God is in us, and that is why we are a mystery to our own selves.  God reveals Himself only to the meek and humble.  He is present everwhere, and He is a mystery.  We may learn a little about Him, or may gather some knowledge from nature, but for the most part, we are surrounded by mystery.

When a person is meek and humble, he will advance in knowledge.  

Humility is a Divine property and the perfection of the Christian life.  It is attained through obedience.  He who is not obedient cannot attain humility.  There are very few in the world today who have obedience.   Our humility is in proportion to our obedience.

Physical, outward humillity is easier to attain than inner humility, humility of the mind.  That is a special gift.  Our holy Father Symeon says that a person who has attained humility of the mind cannot be hurt by anything in the world.  Whatever happens, such a person is always at peace.  This is truly a Divine property.

Meekness means having a heart that is humbled and peacefull.  Children are meek.  This why the Lord says, “If you do not become as children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (cf. Matt. 18:3).

A proud person is never satisfied; everything bothers him, and he follows his own will. We must be obedient to the will of God in order to learn humility and meekness while we are still in this life, while there is still time.  A heart that is full of love thinks not of itself, but of others.  It prays for all living things and for the whole world.


From Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2014, pg. 88-89.

Image by Elly McKay – http://www.ellymackay.com

1 thought on “Thoughts on Humility – Elder Thaddeus

  1. Beautiful words of wisdom, strength, and encouragement. Just what I needed today. Thank you and bless you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

search previous next tag category expand menu location phone mail time cart zoom edit close