Pride, vainglory, and avarice.
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Pride is "an inordinate desire for one's own excellence." Pride is said to be "complete" when a person is so filled with it that he refuses to subject his intellect and will to God, and to obey His commandments. Such a person has contempt for God and those who represent Him. In a sense, a person with complete pride makes himself a god.
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However, pride may also be incomplete: Here a person does not reject God or his superiors; rather, he simply thinks of himself too highly.
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Associated with pride is "vainglory," whereby a person has an inordinate desire to manifest his own excellence and to receive praise. Of course, every person should be proud of accomplishments and be thankful to God for the ability to perform well. However, such a disposition differs from the person on "the ego trip" who is motivated to do something simply for future praise and recognition, or always has to talk about "I did this" and "I did that" so as to impress people and receive their praise.
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St. John Vianney taught, "Pride makes us hate our equals because they are our equals; our inferiors from the fear that they may equal us; our superiors because they are above us."
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Avarice "is the inordinate love of having possessions or riches." A person, motivated by greed, is preoccupied with having and having more. A greedy person attaches such value to wealth and possessions that the accumulation and retention of them become the major goal of life and take priority over everyone and everything else. Greed comes in different forms: For instance, some are greedy with material things, always wanting more and only giving the surplus, the "little tip," the something that will not be missed. Some are greedy with time, only doing what will benefit them in some way. Some are greedy in their relationships, collecting people for status or using people for advantage. A person easily becomes hard-hearted and blind to the needs of those less fortunate. Sparked by greed, a person can take on a sense of self-sufficiency, complacency and independence of God. - Source
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"Work out your salvation in fear and trembling." Let's pray for the conversion of sinners - in other words - one another.
We are not at the point of simply praying for a Padre and his holy ministry.
ReplyDeleteWe have to wrestle him away from Satan and his Freemason henchmen that have attacked this Padre with all manner of Luciferian means.
It is time for the Church, and especially women, to weep for his soul.
Women need to storm Heaven on his behalf.
Us men need to say the Saint Michael pray on his behalf.
The Devil has one of our Sheppards in his teeth.
Time for the sheep to attack.
Run. Fight. Or hold the light.
Just don't stand on the sidelines gawking.
Rorate Caeli blog has a great Catholic article:
Quicumque
(Athanasian Symbol - Prime, Office of the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity)
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Fr. Z has an excellent post up as well - on the very real need of praying for priests.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post. Good lectio.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Terry.