Man Has No Good in Himself and Can Glory in Nothing
The Disciple
LORD, what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You visit him? What has
man deserved that You should give him Your grace? What cause have I, Lord, to complain if You
desert me, or what objection can I have if You do not do what I ask? This I may think and say in
all truth: “Lord, I am nothing, of myself I have nothing that is good; I am lacking in all things, and
I am ever tending toward nothing. And unless I have Your help and am inwardly strengthened by
You, I become quite lukewarm and lax.”
But You, Lord, are always the same. You remain forever, always good, just, and holy; doing
all things rightly, justly, and holily, disposing them wisely. I, however, who am more ready to go
backward than forward, do not remain always in one state, for I change with the seasons. Yet my
condition quickly improves when it pleases You and when You reach forth Your helping hand. For
You alone, without human aid, can help me and strengthen me so greatly that my heart shall no
more change but be converted and rest solely in You. Hence, if I knew well how to cast aside all
earthly consolation, either to attain devotion or because of the necessity which, in the absence of
human solace, compels me to seek You alone, then I could deservedly hope for Your grace and
rejoice in the gift of new consolation.
39 Matt. 16:41.
Thanks be to You from Whom all things come, whenever it is well with me. In Your sight I
am vanity and nothingness, a weak, unstable man. In what, therefore, can I glory, and how can I
wish to be highly regarded? Is it because I am nothing? This, too, is utterly vain. Indeed, the greatest
vanity is the evil plague of empty self-glory, because it draws one away from true glory and robs
one of heavenly grace. For when a man is pleased with himself he displeases You, when he pants
after human praise he is deprived of true virtue. But it is true glory and holy exultation to glory in
You and not in self, to rejoice in Your name rather than in one’s own virtue, and not to delight in
any creature except for Your sake.
Let Your name, not mine, be praised. Let Your work, not mine, be magnified. Let Your holy
name be blessed, but let no human praise be given to me. You are my glory. You are the joy of my
heart. In You I will glory and rejoice all the day, and for myself I will glory in nothing but my
infirmities.
Let the Jews seek the glory that comes from another. I will seek that which comes from God
alone. All human glory, all temporal honor, all worldly position is truly vanity and foolishness
compared to Your everlasting glory. O my Truth, my Mercy, my God, O Blessed Trinity, to You
alone be praise and honor, power and glory, throughout all the endless ages of ages.