St Laurence Justinian used to say that we do not know what humility is unless we have it in our hearts. Only those who are humble of heart can understand it; that is why our Lord said: ‘Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart.'

In order to acquire humility we must omit none of those exterior actions in which we can practise it on suitable occasions according to our state of life. We should also ask God for true sentiments of humility to accomplish well these exterior actions, which are sometimes performed for vainglory. Then we should very often make interior acts of humility by recognizing our nothingness and deficiencies and by loving humiliations; we should judge ourselves ceaselessly and condemn both ourselves and all our actions.