Another time, a monk of Syrian descent was living in Scetis. He came to St. Macarius and said to him, “I have a question, father: When I was in Syria, I was able to fast a great deal and spend days fasting, but now, in Egypt, I cannot complete the day fasting. Why?” Seeing that the monasteries in Syria were in cities in the midst of people, St. Macarius answered him and said, “You used to spend your days fasting because you dined on vainglory, that is, people’s praise of you during the fasting and abstinence from food. But here in the wilderness, no one sees you, and hence you quickly become hungry.” Because of this, the saints said that if the virtues are known, they are ruined and end; and because of this, they would hide their virtues, wisdom, and knowledge.
ON THE EGO & THE LOVE OF PRAISE
H.H. Pope Shenouda III
Category: VAINGLORY
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The person who wants to save himself does not think of becoming a shepherd, but flees from shepherding as much as he can. If God firmly takes hold of him and he becomes a shepherd, then he will ask Him for power with which to do the work, for he, on his own, can do nothing. He who trusts in his own power, talents, and ability to save others is a very arrogant person indeed.
Let man stay away from the love of authority, even if the reason is a desire for people’s salvation, because in reality, the reason is a love of vainglory, not people’s salvation.
ON THE EGO & THE LOVE OF PRAISE
H.H. Pope Shenouda III -
No one can be fully known to the world, regardless of his/her accomplishments and even when the accomplishments are prominent, the soul remains unknown. Although we are insignificant, we still have an inner realization that we are extremely valuable. In reality, this self-realization can only be known through God. The self searches for validation and waits to be fully known. This cannot be achieved in the world.
The Lord’s Prayer
Fr. Mina Dimitri -
People’s Respect for You
Do not demand that people respect you,… but leave them to feel respect for you of their own accord because they find in you qualities which compel their respect. So do not find fault with another person if he has not shown you respect. On the contrary, it would be better to find fault with yourself, and consider that you have acted in a way that has diminished other people’s respect for you. Be sure that you know that respect is one thing but fear is something else. People may fear you on account of your position or power or strength, but this does not mean that they respect you. Respect is an inner feeling of reverence in praise of certain exalted qualities or humane or spiritual values.
Experiences in Life
H.H. Pope Shenouda III -
the man who is born with enough to live upon is generally of a somewhat independent turn of mind; he is accustomed to keep his head up; he has not learned all the arts of the beggar; perhaps he even presumes a little upon the possession of talents which, as he ought to know, can never compete with cringing mediocrity; in the long run he comes to recognize the inferiority of those who are placed over his head, and when they try to put insults upon him, he becomes refractory and shy. This is not the way to get on in the world.
The Wisdom of Life
Arthur Schopenhauer -
Withdrawnness, on the other hand, represents the exact
opposite of spirituality; this is because it constitutes the
soul’s revolving around “Me, Myself and I.”For a withdrawn person, worship revolves around himself
not around the Lord. His prayers will not probe the depths
of his soul, soaring with it to the Lord’s heavenly heights.
Rather, he locks himself up within his soul, seeking to submit the Lord to his own self. His prayers therefore only serve to appease his conscience and to elicit praise from others or even from himself. Such a person would not know how to talk candidly to the Lord as His Father. Fasting would only be practised to satisfy the person’s ego. He would talk much about himself seeking his and others’ admiration for his fasting and worship!Finally, when that person confesses, he would neither be broken-hearted nor contrite before the Holy Spirit; rather, he would have lengthy accounts of his iniquities with his Father in confession, with no hint of regret or repentance. His primary objective is to solicit his confessor’s attention and sympathy. He might even go so far as to serve and to evangelize, without knowing how to preach repentance to his own soul. He delights in the appearance of his service, and in everyone’s interest in him and his work.
From Heart to Heart
Fr. Tadros Y. Malaty -
Often, with enough time off, our thirst to be well known for certain superficial qualities dies down or fades away, we discover how easily and happily we can enjoy life without constantly thinking about refashioning our image, and it becomes easier to recognize the emptiness and superficiality of most of the goods vainglory inclines us to pursue.
Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies
Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung -
We can start small, trying to take the spotlight off ourselves. Would it be difficult, for a single day, to let our actions speak for themselves, without defending ourselves when we suspect others are being critical? How hard would it be not to look in the mirror at all, or store windows, or reflections, and to refrain from asking others about our appearance? Could we listen to others, while refraining from conversation about ourselves—without telling stories about ourselves, recounting our own version of events, or offering an account of our own feelings? Reflecting when the day is over can reveal how much mental effort and conversation and activity we devote daily to enhancing our image in the eyes of others or calling attention to ourselves to make others approve of us. Are we engaging in activities from a desire to win recognition and renown or because we think they are genuinely important and worthwhile in themselves?
Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies
Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung
SO GOOD QUOTES 