Pride Goeth Before Destruction ~ Celebrate Humility

Gloria Romanorum ^ | June 1, 2021 | Florentius

[Antoninus]

Recall, Christians, what Sacred Scripture declareth:

"Pride goeth before destruction: and the spirit is lifted up before a fall." [Proverbs 16:18]

And also:

"Pride is the beginning of all sin. He that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end." [Ecclesiasticus, 10:15]

Pride is numbered in the Catholic Catechism among the Seven Deadly Sins [CCC 1866]. Writing in the early Seventh Century AD, Pope Saint Gregory the Great reflected on the sin of pride in his epochal Moralia in Job, saying:

"Whoever extols himself above his proper condition, is weighed down by the very burden of his pride, and plunges himself the lower, the more he has rushed into the sin of pride, and has separated himself far from Him Who is truly exalted... [Moralia in Job, Book XXIV, Chapter 3]

Not surprisingly, Gregory recognized the link between pride and all the other sins, including fornication, saying:

"And it is certain that there is not even genuine chastity in the heart of him who lacks humility, since by pride corrupting him within he commits fornication, if from loving himself he departs from the love of God. [Moralia in Job, Book XXII, Chapter 2]

As a remedy to this awful sin, St. Gregory proposes:

"Wherefore the sin of pride must be cut up at once by the very roots, that when it springs up secretly it may be cut off vigilantly, so that it may not gain vigor by growth, or strength by habit." [Moralia in Job, Book XXIV, Chapter 23]

Thus, we should never celebrate pride. Furthermore, we should never present pride as something acceptable or remarkable when teaching our children.

Rather, Christians are enjoined to reflect on humility.

"The fruit of humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and glory and life." [Proverbs 22:4]

Even though he was God incarnate, Jesus of Nazareth was never puffed up with pride, but was rather an exemplar of humility. The image above is taken from a scene in the Gospel of Saint John [Chapter 13] where, after the Last Supper, Jesus washes the feet of the Apostles:

"He riseth from supper, and layeth aside His garments, and having taken a towel, girded Himself. After that, He putteth water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded."

When Saint Peter objected to Jesus humbling himself, Our Lord cautioned him, saying:

"If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me."

Peter responded, saying:

"Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."

Jesus then explained to His Apostles that if they wish to be the leaders of His Church, they must first become servants.

"Know you what I have done to you? You call me Master, and Lord; and you say well, for so I am. If then I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also. Amen, amen I say to you: The servant is not greater than his lord; neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them." [John 13:13-17]

Gregory the Great in his Moralia in Job, calls humility "the mistress and mother of all virtues [Moralia in Job, Book XXIII, Chapter 13]," and offers contrite confession of sins as the hallmark of humility:

"For these are the proofs of true humility, both for a man to ascertain his own wickedness, and on being ascertained to discover it by the voice of confession."

Meanwhile, someone who is consumed by pride, will not only fail to confess but will attempt to cover-up, deny, and rationalize his sins. Gregory continues:

"But on the contrary it is the accustomed evil practice of man’s race, at once to commit sin keeping himself hidden from sight, and when committed to hide it by denying, and when brought home to him, to multiply it by standing up for it." [Moralia in Job, Book XXII, Chapter 14]

Thus we come to our own present ruinous culture which not only seeks to deny sins, but to create communities around them, celebrate them with parades, and force others to join the revel with them.

The painting in the image above, showing Christ washing the feet of the Apostles, was done by the Venetian Tintoretto and was completed about AD 1549.

[Antoninus]

Anyone celebrating "pride" is not an actual Christian. Let's not kid ourselves.

[Antoninus]

Catholic ping!

[BipolarBob]

Pride in Perversity seems like it would be a double whammy to God.

[Honorary Serb]

Christ is Risen!!!!

Humility is a major Christian virtue!!!!

https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/spirituality/the-virtues

https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/spirituality/the-virtues/humility

.....In the Orthodox tradition, humility has often been called the “mother of all virtues,” and pride has been named “the cause of all sin.” The wise and honest person is the one who is humble.....

[ebb tide]

Ping

[GBA]

Romans 12:16 -

“Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.”

Proverbs 3:7 -

“Do not be wise in your own eyes,
fear the LORD and turn away from evil;

Humans can rationalize anything, any act, any want, any need no matter how sinful or heinous whether in the past, present or future, but especially in the moment!

This is one of the strongest reasons why we humans NEED God and His unmovable, unchangeable rules, references and standards to live by and to live up to.

And also to judge ourselves by when we fail in our duties to each other and to ourselves, to the world we live in and to the God who is the Creator and the ultimate and final Judge of all.

Fear of God is much better than our love of self, as we prodigals are going to learn, one way or another.

We think it’s “His Way or the highway” and out the door we go, only to learn that His Way is our High Way that eventually brings us back home to Him!

One way or another ...

[Democrat = party of treason]

A certain sign that a person has walked off the cliff of the “wide road” is when he becomes proud of his immorality.

[Antoninus]

In the Orthodox tradition, humility has often been called the “mother of all virtues,” and pride has been named “the cause of all sin.” The wise and honest person is the one who is humble.....

Not just the Orthodox, my friend. Both Orthodox and Catholics venerate Pope St. Gregory the Great who said (in the above article) that humility is, "the mistress and mother of all virtues) way back in the early 7th century AD.

[Antoninus]

A certain sign that a person has walked off the cliff of the “wide road” is when he becomes proud of his immorality.

Indeed. But what do you call it when people form entire communities predicated on their immorality and force others to acknowledge that their immorality is, in fact, virtuous?

[Honorary Serb]

During Great Lent, we Orthodox celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, a service attributed to Pope St. Gregory the Great!

[jmacusa]

Humility is knowing one is not God.

[Antoninus]

During Great Lent, we Orthodox celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, a service attributed to Pope St. Gregory the Great!

Amen.

[Antoninus]

Humility is knowing one is not God.

I would say that's the minimum criteria for humility.

[jmacusa]

Respectfully FRiend I would think it would be paramount.

Too many people walk this Earth thinking they are The Second Coming.

Obama was proof of that.

Pax.

[Antoninus]

Let’s just agree that it would be a good start.

[jmacusa]

Walk humbly, live usefully under the eyes of God.

[Democrat = party of treason]

Hell on earth

[Antoninus]

Hell on earth

Quite literally.