The valley of humility is where we learn, most of all, the truth of who we are and of who God is. For it is there that we learn of our smallness—our nothingness and poverty as creatures—as well as the grandeur and the majesty, the unspeakable glory and the unfathomable riches of God, our Creator and our Father, who is the All.
O Most High, glorious God,
with Love
stronger than death,
enlarge my heart;
with Light
more dazzling than the sun,
enlighten my mind;
with Life
overflowing in joy everlasting,
resurrect and renew me.
O Divine Potter
shape me, mould me
into a praise of Thy glory.
With Thy finger
gently press me;
In Thy arms
tenderly caress me.
Hold me down low,
bury me in the valley
called Humility,
and bury Thyself in me.
With Thy tears
send refreshment,
supernatural nourishment.
Rainfall of mercy and hope
cascade down my rugged terrain,
plunge the depths of my misery.
With Thy hands
raise up two majestic mountains,
two daring desires
as cathedral spires:
one to serve Thee, to praise Thee
as Thou dost truly deserve,
and another to acquire
virtues both noble and delightful--
the beautiful raiment
of the Heavenly clad.
Yea, O my God and Redeemer,
the valley floor
of my lowly heart,
awaits, abides
in light of day
and dark of night,
pulsating rhythmically
with eager expectation,
in peaceful prostration,
Thy most stupendous grace,
the lovely splendour of Thy Face.
The above is a reflection written after the reading of this passage in the writings of the 14th century Flemish mystic, Jan van Ruusbroec:
“When the sun sends forth its rays and its light into a deep valley located between two high mountains, if the sun is then standing in the highest point of the heavens so that it can cast its light on the very floor of the valley then there is a threefold effect: Through the light reflected from the mountains, the valley becomes brighter and warmer and more fruitful than plain and level land.
In the same way, when a good person rests only on his littleness in the most lowly part of his being and admits that he has nothing of himself—being able neither to persevere nor to progress in virtue—and when he confesses that he often fails to practice the virtues and good works, then he is admitting his poverty and need and is thereby forming a valley of humility.
Because he is humble and in need and because he admits his need, he manifests and laments his needs before the goodness and mercy of God. In this way he becomes aware of God’s sublimity and his own lowliness, and in this sense he becomes a deep valley.
Now Christ is a righteous and merciful sun who stands in the highest point of the heavens, that is, at the right hand of his Father. From there he sheds his light on the valley floor of humble hearts, for Christ is always moved by a person’s need when that person humbly manifests and laments it.
Then there arise two mountains, that is, two desires: one to serve and praise God as He deserves, and another to acquire virtues to a high degree. These two mountains are higher than the heavens, for these desires touch God without intermediary and yearn for his magnanimous generosity. This generosity cannot then hold itself back but must flow forth, for the soul is now capable of receiving more gifts...
This valley, the humble heart, then receives three things: It becomes brighter and more radiant with graces and warmer in charity, and more fruitful in perfect virtues and good works.”