Oblate Program at Belmont Abbey, NC

Tag: pride

Inside the Faces of Pride

Pride is something most of us understand to a certain extent.  Or, at the very least, we think we know what it looks like when we see it.  Whether seen in business leaders, politicians, celebrities, or neighbors, there is a type of pride that almost all of us recognize.  You can characterize it as bombastic,… Read More ›

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Vacare Deo: What Will Fill the Spaces We Empty This Lent?

In a few days it’ll be Lent, and I will again hang in the oratory the small plaque with two words: Vacare Deo, to empty oneself for God. It’s a reminder for spiritual cleaning. As it’s midwinter, and I’m already bored with being indoors, I am looking for things to do. This translates to “it’s… Read More ›

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Divine humility alone can lift you up

With what words shall we bless the love of God and how can we express our thanks? He has loved us so much that for our sake He, who is eternal and older than the universe itself, has become younger than most of his servants in the world! Like an infant, he cried speechlessly, even… Read More ›

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Bright flame

Sometimes it can’t be helped, two world views collide, for many reasons, some too deep to understand.  Yet we still try, rifts come into play, words spoken, emotions flare, and two people walk away from each other thinking the other wrong. Sometimes the divide is simply so wide that no bridge can be built, the… Read More ›

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The deadly weight of pride

But how shall we, casting off the deadly weight of pride, descend to saving humility? lf such an aim governed our conduct under all circumstances, we should not overlook the least detail on the ground that we would suffer no harm therefrom. The soul comes to take on a resemblance to its preoccupations and it… Read More ›

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To recover our true glory we must practice humility

[M]an was created to have true glory on God. . . This true glory was lost by pride. To recover it we must practice humility. “The surest salvation, the remedy of his ills, and the restoration of his original state is the practice of humility AND NOT PRETENDING THAT HE MAY LAY CLAIM TO ANY… Read More ›

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Human pride brought you down

Behold, man, what God has become for your sake! Keep in your heart a lesson from this great humility imparted by a speechless infant!  You were in paradise one day and you were eloquent giving each creature a name but your creator, for your sake, laid down speechless unable to call his own mother by… Read More ›

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Vainglory and Pride

35. One who had the gift of sight told me what he had seen. ‘Once,’ he said, ‘when I was sitting in assembly, the demon of vainglory and the demon of pride came and sat beside me, one on either side. The one poked me in the side with the finger of vain-glory and urged… Read More ›

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The biggest lies

The biggest lies are the ones you tell to yourself. Did you ever contemplate that? You lie to yourself that you’re ugly. You lie to yourself that you can’t succeed. You lie to yourself that no one can love you. You lie to yourself that you are being honest! Everyone does it. Everyone forgets that… Read More ›

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Bright flame

Sometimes it can’t be helped, two world views collide, for many reasons, some too deep to understand. Yet we still try, rifts come into play, words spoken, emotions flare, and two people walk away from each other thinking the other wrong. Sometimes the divide is simply so wide that no bridge can be built, the… Read More ›

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