We are naturally prouder than peacocks, more groveling than toads, more vile than unclean animals, more envious than serpents, more gluttonous than hogs…

We celebrate the feast day of the great St. Louis de Montfort tomorrow.

On his feast day, we would do well to meditate on some of his teachings, especially on the need for vigilance against one self, since, as Saint Paul says, men are "bodies of sin" (Rom. 6:6).

Saint Louis de Montfort builds on that and wrote:

We are naturally prouder than peacocks, more groveling than toads, more vile than unclean animals, more envious than serpents, more gluttonous than hogs, more furious than tigers, lazier than tortoises, weaker than reeds, and more capricious than weathercocks. We have within ourselves nothing but nothingness and sin, and we deserve nothing but the anger of God and everlasting Hell.

Saint Louis also notes that man's "best actions are ordinarily stained and corrupted by…[his] corrupt nature.

Understanding this corruption leads one to see all one's ideas, thoughts and tendencies with the utmost suspicion.  This is the first step to vigilance.

For more on the virtue of vigilance please read more here:

http://www.tfp.org/tfp-home/catholic-perspective/vigilance-a-counter-revolutionary-virtue.html