Pride vs. Humility
Pride is one of those sins if one thinks they have conquered it, it is then they have it most surely. Pride hides in plain sight because it is blindness. If we do not find ourselves constantly asking God what we can do for Him or others while always trusting in His providence for our wellbeing (never sinning), then we have not conquered this. I currently work customer service and with frequency when the customer discovers that they did not read the instructions, thought I was wrong but realized it was themselves, etc. it is usually the last couple seconds of the conversation. Typically with older folks, there are a lot more open to realizing the potential of their error. Humility brings the freedom to accept reality as it is and grow in accord with it, whereas pride is the greatest of self-tortures: restaining oneself from the greatness we hunger for because we believe we have already achieved it.
Cost shall introduce a temptation that shall plague the sinner throughout this process of conversion and its antithesis. Pride is the sin that makes the mighty un incapable of entering heaven. It is rooted in the animalistic nature of man and of course in sin the animal and the passion develop a domineering capability over man and often against man's good. It is instinct to consider the world as something which cares not for one's good, in that lack we are at least moved toward taking care of ourselves. How we do that is the question. What are my needs and what are my "needs"? On this "boulevard of broken" dreams where we "walk alone", we consider happiness something we struggle to attain through acts and they enter our being through the senses. Under this idea of happiness, our "needs" are our end. Our own confinedness, finitude, and self-interest become that which weighs us down from true happiness. We define ourselves by how much wealth, pleasure, power, or honor we attain. Totally contrary to the assertion of pride, our happiness lies within the context of our health since we are made to do things. In the measure even just our body has a form, there are things which really uphold it, things that cause little harm but we are ok with because there is another end in mind, and things that really do undermine/work against the form of the body(and seriously speaking I do not mean moving from slender to fat although it would be a sign of "little" harm being done). However, happiness only consists in the physical in the measure it first subsists in our spiritual and mental health. There is a form of both or spiritual and mental that can be undermined through what we do, how we think, and most especially, what voice we let be our mover, our lord (you might say). Our instinct or concupiscence informs our decisions we act as though what is without must be exploited for the good of what is within. "Who needs friends, after all, won't they hurt us at some point?" "Why should I do something that makes me uncomfortable?" Our lives become the product of our belief that our lives are as a play that is produced by "me", directed by me, casted by me, written by me, and above all stared in by me. I am paraphrasing the Catechism defining pride as an undue/unjust/incorrect self-preference, esteem, and/or love that, at the limit, inspires the belief that one rivals God, and as a result, is contrary to love and trust of Him, and instead leaves man working against reality. (This will be better researched in next week's post.)
Humility, the greatest of all the virtues, embodies the disposition of Christ to the Father which made Him most lovable, trustworthy, and glorified. Humility is the truth that is contrary to the lie of pride. It rightly orders love of self and is true to man's end: love of God and others. The Catechism defines humility as "the virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good. Humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride and provides the foundation for turning to God in prayer (2559). Voluntary humility can be described as "poverty of spirit".In this context, our happiness becomes receiving all that God has given us and allows for freedom in the measure we are aware that what is good about us comes from God. All of the virtues are available to the one who is humble. When one possesses accurate self-knowledge such as this, they are free to be merciful since they know their own concupiscence and need for God and thus understand the condition of others who do not recognize their need or even desire for God. Our live become understood in truth and actuality created by God using the prior analogy, a most beautiful, God-directed, produced, casted, and written play that we are graced to play a small but somehow important part in. Insofar as we have been made to become God, God transforms us into Himself and thereby makes us more ourselves.
In conclusion, is it not almost humorous the ends pride seeks are actually attained in humility and lost most sure with pride. By grasping after absolute freedom it is lost to the irrational animal of man's passions. By surrendering such, humility gains all in the most fulfilling way. We cannot "create" ourselves without destroying ourselves and we must give of ourselves to truly come to be ourselves. If we consider/make ourselves divinized we could not become more unlike God. This lie that pride is can blind us if we let it, it lets us believe we are good enough. We were not made to be good enough but as great as God as we are united to Him. "I do nothing but good things. Why would I not go to heaven?" because you decided for yourself what you are/deserve. Pride also moves us to tear others down that we may be seen as greater. Humility undoes such, we recognize our lowliness.
Oh Lord, it is just me.
You created me so lovingly.
