…Meekness is a quality of repose in the generous soul and describes a person
not easily upset. The meek are moderate and temperate in everything; their
wrath tamed, they are not impetuous, but calm. They are sweet and mild, not
harsh, no bitter word galling their mouths. Good-natured, in no way malicious,
rancourous, or suspicious, they transform everything into goodness and
kindness, and since those meek by nature are naturally healthy, they are sound
and uncorrupted in body and spirit. They neither incite others to evil nor
themselves are so provoked; they neither offend others nor are offended; they
display no rancour toward anyone, are generally self-possessed, are not easily
led astray, almost always avoid sin, are very tolerant and so open to reproof
they do not resist even when they know the blow will wound. They are not
irritable or sad, but consistently happy; compliant and very candid, the meek
are straightforward people, in no way devious, and their countenances are clear
reflections of their souls. Filled with forgiveness and patience, they are
generous by nature and share all they have. Finally, the meek are more truly
human than those who are not, for as the wise man says, man is by nature a
gentle animal, as his appearance attests, and violent men seem to have turned
into ferocious beasts, merciless and inhuman. Truly happy and fortunate are the
meek, for they possess and hold subject the land of the body, so well tamed and
unrebelling that it goes wherever the obedient reins of reason signal.

Since the soul of the meek person is subject to God and offers him its body,
God in turn grants him dominion over the flesh. The soul that obeys God has an
obedient body, but if the soul rebels, the body is also unruly. A meek soul
bears a meek body, but let the soul angrily break the bonds of the Lord and the
body will turn rebellious. Blessed are the meek, therefore, because having been
possessed by God, they rightfully possess themselves and will possess the land
of the living, which is heaven. For Saint Augustine says that no one will
possess God in heaven unless he is possessed by God on earth. The meek also
possess earthly things in the right way, for if they happen to lose them, they
do not jeopardize their meekness by pursuing them as if a slave or captive to
them but rather they react quietly, letting whatever is lost go away in peace
with their blessing, thus revealing that what they lost did not rule them.

Blessed are the meek because they have been especially ordered to seek God and
have a sign that he will soon disclose himself to them. Just as a gentle bird
is accompanied by one similar in nature, so the meek King Jesus Christ, the
gentle lamb sacrificed for us, willingly chooses for companions those who are
equally meek. Blessed are the meek because they will sit in the chairs of the
prideful demons and do so quietly, for it is written that God vacated the seats
of the prideful captains and placed on them the gentle. Blessed are the meek
for they truly are disciples of Christ who, more gentle than Isaac, was
stretched out on the wood of the cross to be wounded, and he kept gentleness
for himself, calling himself its teacher and inviting us to learn about it at
his school, which is the cross. Blessed are the meek as warriors in the battle
of this world, for they fight and are protected by sacks of wool cloth to
soften the devil’s artillery shots and blows of worldly persecution. They are
glasses covered with straw or hay so they cannot be broken. Meekness is a very
stout shield that deflects and destroys the blows of anger’s sharp arrows. The
garb of the meek is soft protective cotton that offends no one. Blessed are the
meek because their virtue is a magnet of natural tenderness that attracts iron.
Nothing more appeals to the callous and hard of heart than meekness, as seen in
the gentle David who often softened the heart of his terrible enemy Saul and
caused him to weep, thereby changing him into a man of mercy. Blessed are the
meek for they enjoy such intimacy with the Lord that he never turns aside his
ear and their prayers are always heard, for it is written: “The prayers and
petitions of the humble and meek always pleased you, Lord.” Blessed are the
meek for God is their avenger and will defend them from injury, as seen in
Moses. God became very angry when he heard Aaron and his sister Miriam speaking
against Moses, and Scripture explains that their imprudent words moved God to
anger because Moses was the most gentle person in the land. As the most humble
person, therefore, he was filled with more grace and enjoyed more influence
with God than any other person of the time. Our Lord explains that the holiness
and grace of Moses compared with that of other people was like truth compared
to a dream or a body to its shadow.

Now that you have seen the excellence of meekness, brother, it only remains to
beg you to seek and attain it, for meekness is the guest of prayer, as the
apostle says, and both are dear friends and companions, the one aiding the
other. If one grows, so does the other; if one is absent, the other languishes.
Scarcely separated, the one is not to be found without the other, like the
beloved sisters Martha and Mary who together welcomed the Lord into their
house, wishing to help each other so as to serve the Lord more excellently.

I have explained meekness more than any other virtue in the exposition of this
letter because it is the natural quality that can most effectively help a
person in the spiritual business we are discussing in the third Alphabet. If
you lack meekness, seek it out before all else, for more than any other thing
it preserves Our Lord’s grace. When people who have attained to God and feel
his love in their breasts let themselves be moved to anger, no matter how
slightly, they feel empty and cannot understand what happened to the grace they
knew before or understand where it went. The same occurs when we speak harshly,
for such words surely affect our hearts, draining out the nectar of grace. This
I know, and this I advise: may it please the Lord that you understand it also
and may you not act like some who when they speak foolishly try to say they
meant no harm by their words and explain that since they intended no injury,
their consciences are clear. If they said only that the conscience was clear, I
would believe them and merely consider them useless, but because they insist
that they committed no error, I do not. There is evidence to prove my point: If
a devout person gives into wrath for even one moment or says a few angry words,
he will lose what he previous experienced. Our father Saint Francis says that
anger and a troubled mind impede charity.

Aside from what I have said, meekness surely corrects our faults and other
people’s faults better than wrath. Accord to the psalm: “Meekness will come,
and we will be reprimanded.” There is no more suitable time for a person to
understand himself and be reproved than when he is meek, for then he sees the
truth about himself and others unobscured. If the prudent lose meekness, they
cease to punish for fear God will punish them, and they wait for meekness to
return in imitation of him who, it is said, judged in tranquillity and quiet.

Other people are even more circumspect when they see themselves angered for
they turn to forgiveness to avenge themselves, realizing that it is a greater
sin to become angry over an offence than to offend. Anger inures God, whereas
the other offends only man.

There are some more bold in their judgment, however, who claim that punishment
is ineffective without anger. They quote the prophet: “My indignation helped
me.” Also, the psalm says: “Become angry and do not sin.”

If you are confused by the wise man’s advise, consider the following: “Son,
perfect your works in meekness and you will be loved above all the glory of
men.” He says that we are to perfect our works, especially in meekness, thus
assisting our most vulnerable part, for many begin in meekness, but as anger
mounts, they end in wrath. And it says further that those who are perfect in
meekness will be loved above the glory of men because they are meek and more
like angels than men.

I further reply to those who say this that no anger is good, for natural wrath
harms the angry person and causes us to lose the love Our Lord graciously
bestows on whomever he wishes. Anger, which is a venial sin, brings us pain in
this life, but if it is mortal, undoubtedly we will be punished forever.

In fact, the prophet and the psalm do not use indignation or ire in the same
sense as I, for they mean zeal, which quality enables the pusillanimous to
carry out justice. And as for the saying “become angry and do not sin,” it
signifies: be zealous and act with discernment; zeal does not overstep reason.
I entreat spiritual directors to heed the saying of Saint Jerome: “There is
nothing more disgraceful than the furious, overbearing leader who should be a
model of meekness but instead runs about making noise, frowning, lips
trembling, forehead creased, his audacity unchecked, gestures untempered, and
shouting rancourously. Not only does he deprive sinners of goodness, but his
cruelty pushes them into the depths of vice.” Those who are directed can attest
to the truth of the holy man better than their director.

Returning to our subject, we see the devout person is to be meek in heart so
that fear and patience can flourish, and also meek in word so as to assuage the
anger of those with whom he converses, replying, as the wise man says,
peacefully and gently in order to destroy anger. You should also be meek in
works to win love and be loved by all and grow with gentleness in grace, as it
is written: “My meekness has multiplied me.” I beg you, brother, be meek with
the apostle in the gentleness of Jesus Christ who was sent to proclaim
salvation to the meek. Receive his inspiration in meekness that you may
rejoice, and if you do not wish to be forsaken, never forsake meekness. Make it
your constant companion and you will always be open to its grace. Safeguard
meekness if you wish your soul safeguarded and fortified with Our Redeemer’s
strength. Walk and speak worthily in all humility and meekness and patience,
enduring others lovingly and ever alert to keep the unity of the spirit secured
by the bonds of peace.