"Just as Narcissus's self-adulation rendered himself incapable of a relationship and therefore of love, so also these hymns of conceit cripple our ability to speak with God. If God sees that we are so smitten with our own presence, He may judge us unfit to enter His."
My former best friend's narcissism destroyed our once great friendship because he is too arrogant to forgive the mistakes of others.
If ever there was a time where egocentrism runs rampant, that time is NOW.
Anyone been to Europe lately? The pews are empty over there, and the closed churches are being converted to Mosques.
I loved the title, "Ritus Narcissus" - that really sums it up.
Not mentioned in this is the attitude of priests who celebrate the Ritus Narcissus, encouraged by facing the people and the trend to homilies focused on what they watched on TV last night. Self-congratulatory, blind to all outside themselves, convinced that somehow THEY are special and the congregation has come there just for THEM. Personally, I came for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not for Fr. (or worse, Deacon) Smiley's little stories about what a great, understanding and wonderful guy he is.