Humility is not only important to the welfare of our souls, it is also absolutely necessary to obtain grace from Almighty God. He resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. Pride is an insuperable bar to the entrance of grace into the soul, and as we can do nothing good in the sight of God without the assistance of His grace, we must have at least some degree of humility before we can do anything pleasing to Him. In proportion to our humility will be the grace given us, and the supernatural virtue to which we shall attain. The first thing I must do if I wish to please God more is to humble myself more.
Humility is not only necessary to the obtaining of grace but, without it, we are the enemies of God. He resists the proud; that is, they have God fighting against them and regarding them as His enemies. How awful a thing to have God for our adversary. It was this that rendered the devils forever accursed.
In one moment, the humility of their subjection of themselves in their love of God confirmed the Holy Angels in perfect happiness to all eternity. If I wish God to fight for me, not against me, the first condition is humility.
Humility is a necessary condition of entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. "Unless you become as little children," says our Divine Lord, "you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." He loves the humble and no one who has in his heart the spirit of humility need have any fear of death and judgment.
O my God, am I really humble? Is there not still in me, alas, a spirit of pride hateful to Thee? Drive out from me all pride and fill me with true humility, that I may be fit for Thee and fit for Heaven.
- text from Humility, Thirty Short Meditations by Father Richard Frederick Clarke, SJ