Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises (Week 1, Second Exercise)
“Third, I should consider who I am by diminishing myself with examples. First, how small I am in comparison with all people; second, what people are in comparison with all of the Angels and Saints of Paradise; third, to consider what are all created things in comparison with God: now, what could I alone amount to? In the fourth place, to consider all of my corruption and bodily hideousness; fifth, to consider that I am like an ulcer or an abscess, from which shoot forth so many sins, so much vileness, and such disgusting poison.”
“Tertium, inspicere [considerare] quis sim ego, minuendo me ipsum per exempla: primo, quantus sim ego in comparatione omnium hominum: secundo quid sint homines in comparatione omnium Angelorum et Sanctorum Paradisi: tertio, inspicere [considerare] quid sint omnia creata, in comparatione Dei: jam ego solus quid esse possim? Quarto inspicere [considerare] omnem meam corruptionem et foeditatem corpoream: quinto, inspicere [considerare] me quasi ulcus quoddam et apostema, unde pullularunt tot peccata et tot nequitiae, ac venenum tam turpissimum.”
