Degradation, Despair
See also: Despair, Suicide.
Self-degradation means to deteriorate oneself, to make oneself contemptible. It is different from humility which consists in recognizing oneself as a sinner. The latter is important for repenting and converting. But excessive resentment towards oneself is harmful.
In "The Gospel as It Was Revealed to Me"
- "If you knew, now that the smoke of hatred has dissipated, how I see my Soul... and how... and how I think of God... - I know it. Do not weep. Remain in humility, but without degrading yourself. To degrade oneself is still pride. Have only, only humility. Come on, don't cry..."[1]
- Major Teaching Against degradation: "Let your work be constant, confident, peaceful, without sudden starts and sudden stops. This is how wild donkeys behave, but no one uses them, unless mad, to travel safely. Peaceful in victories, peaceful in defeats. Even grief for a committed mistake, which afflicts you because through this error you displeased God, must be peaceful, comforted by humility and trust. Overwhelm, the rancor toward oneself is always a sign of Pride, and thus also of distrust. If someone is humble, he knows he is a poor man subject to the miseries of the flesh that sometimes triumphs. If someone is humble, he trusts not so much in himself but in God and remains calm, even in defeats, saying: "Forgive me, Father. I know You know my weakness which sometimes prevails. I believe You have pity on me. I have firm confidence that You will help me in the future even more than before, God, even though I give You so little satisfaction."[2]
- Judas admits it is difficult to confess his faults, Jesus replies to him: "That is why one should act well, so as not to degrade oneself by saying: 'I have sinned.' But yet, Judas, there is great remedy in that, having to make effort in confessing the fault restrains from committing it and if it is committed, the pain of accusing oneself is already a penance that redeems. If afterwards someone suffers, not so much from pride nor from fear of punishment, but because he knows that by failing he caused pain, then, it is I who say it, the fault disappears. It is love that saves."[3]
In other works by Maria Valtorta
In the Notebooks
- Catechesis of February 18, 1947: "In truth, I tell you this: it is not being tempted that should cause fear. And the strength of the Temptation, the repetition of its violent attacks must not lead the Soul to degrade itself thinking that if this happens, it is no longer in the Grace of the Lord and is destined for eternal death. Rejoice instead, you who are so strongly tormented by Satan: it is a sign that you are his Enemies and that he suspects that you are prey who escaped him forever. Satanic anger always rages Against prey that escape his hunger and Against the conquests of God."[4]