The Blessed Virgin Mary is a model of humility. She said: “I am a bondslave of the Lord!” “He looked upon the lowly state of His bondmaid.” Let us keep our eyes on her and become like her. She is our Mother!

As for purity, let us remember that it is the fruit of God’s grace bestowed upon the humble. Purity must be rooted in humility, that is, in complete self-surrender to God, or self-sacrificing and all-consuming love. Without humility, we will have neither love for God nor for our neighbour, neither purity nor any other virtue. Saint Basil writes in one of his letters: “If you excelled in prayer, self-denial, extraordinary self-sacrifice and the like, it would all come to nought without humility!” So let us really try hard to take the lowest place. If we are mocked, unjustly suspected, disparaged, slandered or considered useless, harmful or dangerous because of Jesus, let us accept this injustice through faith. Let us give it all to Jesus and thank Him for it.

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