The downfall of the perfect. .
"Pride, when left unchecked, can easily destroy the soul of one who is otherwise very holy. It leads them to believe more about themselves than they should, to believe that they have overcome when they have not; having climbed to such a great height, the fall is even worse than any other. 'Our eighth struggle is against the demon of pride, a most sinister demon, fiercer than all that have been discussed up till now. He attacks the perfect above all and seeks to destroy those who have mounted almost to the heights of holiness. Just as a deadly plague destroys not just one member of the body, but the whole of it, so pride corrupts the soul, not just part of it.”' St John Cassian, “On the Eight Vices,” pgs. 72 - 93 in The Philokalia: The Complete Text. Volume One.
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Footnotes from Henry Karlson: The Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt
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Icon: The Ladder of Divine Ascent of St. John Climacus, whose feast is observed on March 30.
That's one of my favorite images in religious art. It's a striking metaphor. And John Cassian needs to be better known.
ReplyDeleteYeah, when I get all cocky and think I'm doing so good, Satan takes the opportunity to knock me down a peg or two! Pride is a deadly thing.
ReplyDelete