Pride can consume us

Reflection 182: Wisdom to Penetrate the Inner Secrets of Pride 

Pride can consume us.  When it does, all we think about is ourselves and our own pain.  Perhaps you can relate to this.  Maybe you’ve encountered a wound and you sit and sulk over that wound.  It creates bitterness in your heart and you seek to heal that wound.  But when this happens, it is often our pride that leads us to remedy hurt through a form of revenge, anger or self-pity.  We can even fool ourselves into thinking that our desire to solve our problem and rid ourselves of the hurt is justified by God.  But if you are willing to let the Lord penetrate the inner secret of your soul, you will see that your motivation in many things is your wounded pride.  This is not the solution.  What is needed is Mercy.  Mercy solves every problem.  First, you must seek Mercy from God, then you must offer it unconditionally to others.  There is no other way to resolve the hurt and confusion present in your soul.  This is a hard lesson to learn, but necessary (See Diary #958). 

What is it that motivates you?  Perhaps you have some interior obsession that you can’t seem to shake.  Perhaps it lingers in your mind day and night.  Be attentive to this and identify it as your own sin.  Do not hesitate to humble yourself to the fullest extent and do not be afraid to take ownership of the pain you feel.  Pointing the finger at another does not heal and does not remedy anything.  We are solely responsible as a result of our pride.  Seeing this is a grace of the Lord’s mysterious and unfathomable Mercy. 

Lord, I cannot shake the anger, the hurt and the pain I feel at times.  It is overwhelming and all-consuming, subtle and deceptive.  But it is my sin, lurking within me drawing me from You, keeping me from true repentance.  Lord, I do repent and I beg You to humble me so that I may love You with my whole being.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Thomas, John Paul. Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy: 365 Days with Saint Faustina (Kindle Locations 2594-2609). My Catholic Life!. Kindle Edition.

July 3

Remember three things: total surrender to God, loving trust with each other, joy with all. Then you will be holy like Jesus. Holiness is joy, love, compassion, and, especially, humility. A person who is humble and pure is on the way to great holiness. Just as pride cannot enter holiness, so humiliations lead to holiness. True friendship can help you lead a life of holiness. Everything should be directed toward your growth in holiness but remember, no one is going to force you to be holy.

Scolozzi, Angelo; Mother Teresa. Thirsting for God: Daily Meditations (Kindle Locations 1055-1059). Franciscan Media. Kindle Edition. 

Diabolic Pride

Some seek professional advice regarding their confused mental state, and are told that they are suffering from an “inferiority complex.” The truth of the matter is, nobody who is self-willed has an inferiority complex; he has a superiority complex. He is so full of conceit, pride and aggressive assertiveness that his hurt feelings may for the moment appear as inferiority. But he would not feel hurt if he did not have a diabolic pride, or superiority which would treat anyone who does not flatter him as Pontius Pilate treated Christ. Pilate washed his hands of Christ and had Him executed.

Sheen, Fulton (2016-11-08). Finding True Happiness (Kindle Locations 483-487). Beacon Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

We have nothing to fear, not even the devil. But one virtue the devil fears most is humility. He is terrified more by humility than deep faith because humility is the virtue that makes us like Jesus. Jesus asked us to learn from him because, he said, “I am meek and humble of heart.” We should try to learn from Jesus himself rather than relying on books. If we try to learn humility from books we become confused and it seems difficult to imitate the way of humility.

Scolozzi, Angelo; Mother Teresa (2013-10-30). Thirsting for God: Daily Meditations (Kindle Locations 986-990). Franciscan Media. Kindle Edition. 

Ignorance & Knowledge

Pride is the child of ignorance, humility the offspring of knowledge.

Sheen, Fulton (2016-11-08). Finding True Happiness (Kindle Locations 329-330). Beacon Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Defined - words and meanings are important

Choose wisely...

The problem with the "PRIDE-bow"

It's Pride month. Again and again we see PRIDE with a rainbow. I saw it yesterday on a bank billboard. Here's my problem with it and it's not about sex, who's having it with who - at all.

My problem with this is the banner. The rainbow is the sign of God's covenant to us. What is a covenant? We don't use this word very much in modern language. A covenant is a binding contract and God presented it in this way so that it could NEVER under ANY condition be broken.

When the bow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature—every mortal being that is on earth. Genesis 9:16

To mix this sign of God's unbreakable covenant with us with the word PRIDE, which is our willful rejection of God, is a diabolical mockery.  To see it used over and over again, and to see people rallying around it it so disturbing to me and sad.

Forgive us Father, we know not what we do.