Chapter 41. Of contempt of all temporal honour (Book 3. On Inward Consolation as a Gift of God) (The Imitation of Christ) (a-Kempis, Thomas)

1. "My Son, make it no matter of yours, if you see others honoured and exalted, and yourself despised and humbled. Lift up your heart to Me in heaven, and then the contempt of men upon earth will not make you sad."

2. O Lord, we are in blindness, and are quickly seduced by vanity. If I look rightly within myself, never was injury done to me by any creature, and therefore I have nought whereof to complain before You. But because I have many times and grievously sinned against You, all creatures do justly take arms against me. Therefore to me confusion and contempt are justly due, but to You praise and honour and glory. And except I dispose myself for this, namely, to be willing that every creature should despise and desert me, and that I should be esteemed altogether as nothing, I cannot be inwardly filled with peace and strength, nor spiritually enlightened, nor fully united to You.