August 8

Vain-Glory

Preparation. - One of the principal enemies of humility and good intention is vain-glory. Let us consider, first, its pernicious effects, and secondly, its remedies. And then we shall resolve to guard against loving esteem and praise, and to strive to procure solely the glory of God, as St. Paul enjoins: “Do ye all things to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10. 31).

I. Pernicious Effects Of Vain-Glory

Pride, says the Angelic Doctor, is the inordinate love of our personal worth, or excellence. Seeking from creatures the esteem of our excellence is vain-glory, or the inordinate love of praise. This vice is a subtle poison tending to insinuate itself into all our works, and even the holiest. It glides imperceptibly into the powers of our soul, and acts upon our heart, our feelings, our imagination even before we have the time to be aware of it. Hence how many useless and hurtful thoughts does it not suggest to us, and of how many merits does it not deprive us!

It at times intoxicates certain men so far as to render them forgetful of their most essential duties. How many deep falls have originated in vain-glory! It destroys like the worm secretly gnawing at the roots of the highest tree, causing them to wither and die. Even the saints were not exempt from its perfidious attacks. St. Gregory in writing his books at times remarked, as he says, a vain complacency insinuated itself, like a perfidious serpent, into his heart. St. Augustine acknowledges the same thing as to himself.

How carefully, then, should we watch over our own selves, who are so weak and so sensitive as to the least praise given us! How often have we not been exposed to commit sin, by vain boasting of our good qualities, talents or deeds; secondly, by our singularity, intending to astonish others or provoke their admiration; and thirdly, by our hypocrisy, in acting deceptively or insincerely, in order to captivate the esteem and good-will of others! These three defects, according to St. Thomas, flow directly from vain-glory. Four other defects are derived indirectly therefrom: obstinacy, or refusing to yield to others, discord, or refusing to make some sacrifice for peace’s sake, contention, or stubbornly endeavoring to gain the victory in dispute, and disobedience, or being ashamed to subject one’s self to others.

O Jesus, make known to me how deeply these defects are rooted in my soul, and enable me to overcome the vanity which produces them and enslaves me.

II. The Remedies Of Vain-Glory

The first remedy consists in often considering our nothingness, our defects, our misery, and how little we are deserving of esteem and praise. “What hast thou,” asks St. Paul, “that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Cor. 4. 7). Is not this an injustice and a ridiculous pretension? If the clouds, observes St. Bernard, were to boast of the rain they give us, who would fail to ridicule them for it?

Moreover, of what use can human judgement serve us? “Is man more worthy of esteem,” asks the Imitation, “if people think well of him? Each one is in reality only what he is in the sight of God. Those who praise us are blind, weak and helpless mortals as ourselves. What can their praises, which pass away like the sound of their words, profit us?”

And besides, when we feel complacency in men’s praises, we wrong God and ourselves. God, whom we rob of His glory; ourselves by losing all merit for what we have done. “Take heed,” says our Saviour, “that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by the them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven” (Mat. 6. 1). We shall then have only that of the scribes and pharisees, that is, the vain praises of creatures. Of what advantage will they be to us, if God reprobates us? Will our flatterers come to defend us before His tribunal, to excuse us when He will accuse us, and to absolve us, when He will condemn us? On the contrary, they will be the first to blame our weakness and folly, and to curse us in eternity.

O Jesus, O Mary, enable me to understand how blind a passion vain-glory is, and what an immense injury it daily inflicts on me. I am resolved carefully to combat it, first by meditating on the motives I have for hating it; and secondly, by often purifying my intentions, in order to rid them of all human respect, of all desire of esteem, of all self-complacency, so as to wish solely to glorify and please the heavenly Father, to whom alone belongs the honor of every good, just and perfect work, and even of every meritorious thought.