A Month's Exercises in Humility, Canon Beaudenon Style

Canon Beaudenon's Formation to Humility offers advice on the success of the Canon's 30 daily exercises to help desiring souls gain humility. He advises taking a full month to complete what is critically important in gaining this necessary virtue, and to do so, one should choose a time during the day when free and uninterrupted. A solemnity should accompany the practice of these exercises, or meditations, with prayer and focus upon Jesus in the Tabernacle, asking the Holy Spirit and Virgin Mary and humble saints and powers of heaven for light, courage, and perseverance.

To make steady progress, the Canon reminds that one must advance quietly and methodically, not stopped by discouragement and making every means to put the meditations into practice. One must call upon God and trust in His light by which He will ensure we gain this virtue. "Moreover, the essential fruit of the exercises consists in the acts of humility and in the inclination to perform them, rather than in the sagacity of the reflections or warmth of sentiment."

In proceeding with the exercises, one must maintain a habitual atmosphere of humility, particularly concerning interactions with others. Interior acts of humility may be performed throughout the day, and exterior acts may include speaking in a low tone, heads bowed when appropriate, walking modestly--any way in which to cultivate a spirit of poverty. Finally, the Canon advises that we seek out opportunities of humiliating ourselves and rendering service through obedience, simple compliance, avoiding contradictions, argument and interruption--as well as accepting all sufferings and crosses as being no more than what we deserve.

We will proceed with summarizing the meditations for the exercises, three days' worth at a time. May the Most Holy Trinity, the Mother of Humility, all the angels and saints, and Canon Beaudenon, teach us all we need to learn in order to secure the virtue of humility.