Humility Rules: Saint Benedict's Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem

My goodness. This writer has been given the gift of brevity, wit, AND wisdom. And this is the whole book. Like talking to a friend who just "gets you," chapter after chapter says things like," Discretion in Deed: (poorly paraphrased by me) A guy with a wooden eye walks into a bar and sees a girl with a peg leg. He goes up to her and asks her to dance, and she says, "Would I!" and he walks off saying, "I didn't want to dance with you anyway, peg leg!" There’s a moral to this joke: Anger has its uses, but before you act in anger, make sure you understand why other people act the way they do. Saint Benedict says that a monk shouldn’t be quick to laugh. But he shouldn’t be quick to lash out either. More important still, he should understand his own motives. Saint Benedict clearly believes that fairness and proportion are intrinsic to the good order of a community. I would add that they are also intrinsic to the good order of an individual." If this style of writing floats your boat (as it does mine) you will get a lot out of it! I want to go on and on about why this book is fantastic, but really, it boils down to that I can't recommend this book enough, and that you should go ahead and read it for yourself. You'll see why, and you WONT be dissapointed (well, you might be if you want miles and miles of dry opinionated dissertation on exegesis. This is not that.) It gets to the surprisingly uplifting meat of the point while couching it in something bite-sized and everyday-life-relatable. Well worth your time.

Fantastic book, full of practical - although it will take time to adjust to - the suggested changes that really should be made in our lives for our own happiness and for those we love and others who regularly share the same space as we do. It was humorous, presented vivid examples of each of the 12 rules of St. Benedict, and even gave a short tongue in cheek homework assignment at the end of each rule. It reads fast and easy. I really liked it.

My husband, my teen-aged son, and I really liked this book. We liked it so much that we reread it a second time after completing the first reading. For us, this was a bedtime meditation. It is both lighthearted and serious. I love the pictures of monks with skateboards, skiing, surfing, etc. I think the message of the book in a nutshell would be that genuine self-esteem is not liking oneself better. It is recognizing the truth about oneself and disciplining oneself so that one is becoming a better person. The steps to grow in this are: 1. Fear of God, 2. Self-Denial, 3. Obedience, 4. Perseverance, 5. Repentance, 6. Serenity, 7. Self-Abasement, 8. Prudence, 9. Silence, 10. Dignity, 11. Discretion, and 12. Reverence. Each step has a brief introduction and then is addressed in thought, word, and deed. There are quotes from St. Benedict's Rule, anecdotes from the life of a Fr. Wetta, guidance, and homework for each step such as Prudence in Thought, Prudence in Word, and Prudence in deed. The "homework" for prudence in word is "Just say 'thank you' the next time someone tells you something you already know." The passages and interesting, thought-provoking, and immediately applicable. I recommend this book for any Catholic family to read together. Fr. Wetta is funny and easy to relate to. In addition to that, there are a couple of Youtube videos of him answering questions that a youth group had for him after reading the book. We watched half of one of those this evening and are enjoying getting to know Fr. Wetta in that format after getting to know him through his book.

This is a fantastic way to read about Saint Benedict’s 12 steps it’s it’s the humor and the mixture of the reality of humility is great. I loved it and I then shared it with my mom and she’s reading it now. It was a great way to take it in and I suggest suggested for anybody.

This book is written for teens and young adults, I suppose, but anyone can benefit from learning more about the Rule of St. Benedict. Fr. Augustine turns each rule (each a virtue) into a reason for self-esteem or a way to increase your self-esteem. Each rule is its own chapter. Each chapter is short and broken into sections for putting the rule into action in thought, word, and deed. There is a resolution (“Homework”) for each section. Sometimes I struggled to see how it was related. Fr. Augustine includes amusing pictures and many funny stories. I saw him speak and heard the stories in greater detail - he’s not what you’d expect to see when you meet a monk!

Read the entire book within 24 hours of receiving it. Such a fun read. No great tome of knowledge or deep philosophy, but a wonderful introduction to Saint Benedict’s rule emphasizing the section on the 12 steps to humility with short explanations from a monks perspective. LOVED the homework assignments (don’t worry, they’re easy and meaningful). You will improve your life a bit by reading this book.

Such a fantastic book. Very well written, easy to read, understand, and follow.

This book doesn’t make sense --- at first. A man is described who seems down on his luck: “stressed out, bummed out, overworked, underappreciated, and anxious.” And then the book’s author says that there is a solution to this man’s problem, a 12-step self-help program to improve his life. It is The Ladder of Humility, a 12-step program to greater humility. And reading those words I almost screamed aloud: “What! This guy’s in the dumps already and you’re telling him he needs to be more humble? That sounds nuts!!” But, I read on, and learned the importance of knowing where you are in life, and having the humility to accept things as they are --- and then further, the humility to accept that there is a reason for why things are as they are. In subtle, short chapters, the author explains that God created every life unique, with a unique purpose. In humility we learn to pray and act not with a “Here’s what I want, Lord” self-confidence, but a humble “I trust in You. Show me what You want” love. As the book’s subtitle notes, this is Saint Benedict’s 12-step guide to genuine self-esteem. It’s taking to heart the words: “I trust in You.” The book’s title not only references the rules of humility, but that humility must rule in our lives. This book has deep, yet has short chapters --- with homework at the end of each; it is interesting enough that it will resonate even in teenage minds with short attention spans. It may also help change their “I know everything” mindsets into more open ones. (And referencing the book, parents could quietly ask them: “Did you do your homework?”) This could even be a good family read, around the table, one chapter a night. I’ve already given away a dozen copies of this book to friends. It is a classic.

Awesome! I do recommend... The truth of faith in a funny way!

This brief book is very helpful wherever one is on the spiritual road. Savour it in small bites. Worth it just for the hilarious artworks.

Great book. Easy to read. Would recommend this to anyone especially if you are struggling with spiritual journey as a young Catholic. Thank God, thank St.Benedict, and Fr.Wetta!

Fr Augustine Wetta is the best. The book is funny, insightful, wise and human. Love the illustrations.

Fantastic stuff. It's that ancient, hardcore Christian wisdom that can really help free you. He doesn't pull any punches, but it's brilliantly down-to-earth, with light-heartedness and humour. It's very practical, and really demanding at times. It's not a meditation on humility, but instructions for practicing and cultivating it. I've had to make a few changes already. This book has succeeded in making me more humble, and it's wonderful. Life is just better when you're not important, but are loved.