Posts Tagged ‘Pride’
Pride, the Mother and Queen of the Vices
Saint Thomas is clear in defining the overarching vice or inspirer of all the seven capital vices. He defines it first as a disordered love for personal excellence in excess of right reason. Then, as a special sin, pride leads to a lack of subjection to God’s rule, or commandments, and the undue estimation of…
Read MoreGod Resists the Proud
God resists the proud, because the proud oppose Him; but He dispenses His graces liberally to the humble, because they live in subjection to His Will. Oh, if we humble made place for the divine gifts, how great would be the affluence of that grace in our souls! One of the worst consequences of our…
Read MoreRemedies Against Pride (PART II)
Consider also the danger of vainglory, the daughter of pride, which St. Bernard says, enters lightly but wounds deeply. Therefore, when men praise you, think whether you really possess the qualities for which they commend you. If you do not, you have no reason to be proud. But if you have justly merited their praise,…
Read MoreRemedies Against Pride (PART I)
We have generally called the deadly or capital sins the sources of all iniquity. They are the roots of the mighty tree of vice, and if we can destroy them the trunk and branches must soon decay. With them, therefore, we shall begin, following the example of Cassian and other spiritual writers, who were so…
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