"The more the soul humbles itself and knows itself, the closer it comes to the truth, and finding itself in the truth, it seeks to go to the path of virtues, from which it sees itself very far away, and if it sees that it is on this path, it soon discovers how much remains to be done, because the virtues have no end, they are infinite as I am.
So, the soul, finding itself in the truth, always seeks to perfect itself, but it will never see itself as perfect, and this serves it and will make the soul work continuously, striving to perfect itself more and more, without wasting time in idleness;
And I, being pleased with this work, little by little I am retouching it in order to paint in it my likeness.
This is why I wanted to be circumcised, to give an example of the greatest humility, which made the angels of Heaven themselves bewildered".
Volume III. Book of Heaven