In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on the first degree of humility in Chapter 7 of the Holy Rule. St. Benedict begins with a simple but decisive foundation: keeping the fear of God always before our eyes. Humility begins when the heart lives with a steady awareness of God’s presence. This remembrance restores proper order to daily life and guards the heart from drifting into self-rule.

The fear of God in the Benedictine tradition is reverence, an awareness of who God is and who we are before Him. When that awareness remains active, speech, choices and responses begin to fall into place. This episode explores how humility grows through ordinary remembrance, through small moments of attentiveness that keep the heart turned toward God throughout the day.

Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 7 § 10 (RB 1980)

“The first degree of humility, then, is that a person keep the fear of God always before his eyes
and never forget it.”

“Primus humilitatis gradus est, si timorem Dei ante oculos semper habens, oblivionem omnino fugiat.”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

1. Do I live my daily life with a conscious awareness of God’s presence?

2. What happens in my heart when I forget God during ordinary moments?

3. How does reverence for God influence the way I speak, decide and respond?

4. Where in my day could I pause briefly and remember that my actions are lived before God?

5. How does Christ’s constant relationship with the Father illuminate the first degree of humility?

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