25 August, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

Pride is Robbery

1. When we are proud, we steal from God. Everything which we are and have, both in the natural and supernatural order, is a gift from God. Therefore, when we claim the credit for ourselves, we take from Him that which really belongs to Him. “What hast thou that thou hast not received?” asks St. Paul. “And if thou hast received it why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7)

Pride is a very grave sin, therefore. According to Sacred Scripture, “pride is the reservoir of sin, a source which runs over with vice.” (Ecclus. 10:15) “The beginning of pride,” says the same Book of Ecclesiasticus, “is man’s stubbornness in withdrawing his heart from his Maker.” (Ecclus. 10:14) It is worth meditating on these words, for because of this sin “God sends unheard-of afflictions and brings men to utter ruin.” (Ecclus. 10:15) As St. Augustine points out, the first sin was one of pride, and it changed an angel into a demon. (Ps. 18:15)

When we reflect on the matter, it becomes quite clear that pride is the basis of every sin. (Ibid.) When a man disobeys the law of God, he prefers sin to God. Sin, therefore, is always an act of rebellion against God. It is as if we were to say to Him: “I prefer to obey my own caprice rather than to obey Your will.” In this sense it is true to state that every sin is founded on pride and involves a turning away from God. But when we turn away from our Creator and Redeemer, where are we to go? “Lord,” let us say with St. Peter, “to whom shall we go? Thou hast words of everlasting life…” (John 6:69)

2. With the exception of our Blessed Lady and the Saints, all men are more or less proud. Pride employs many subtle stratagems in order to insinuate itself into our hearts. Very often it does not take the form of an open revolt against God, like that of Lucifer, but expresses itself in a sense of self-complacency, which feeds on the praise and adulation of others. We forget that it was God Who gave us whatever talents we possess. If we have achieved any kind of success or have accomplished anything good in the world, we forget that we have been dependent upon God for our very existence as well as for our power to act.

We believe that we are important, whereas we are as nothing before the infinite majesty of God and before the immensity of His universe. Let us be humble, therefore. If we wish to be raised up by God, let us abase ourselves in the sight of Him who resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Only then shall we be able to perform actions worthy of everlasting life.

3. In order to combat human pride, God humbled Himself. (Ps. 18:15) Not only did He assume a human nature like ours, but He was born poor and lowly and willed to die upon the Cross as a condemned criminal. What a tremendous lesson for human pride! God gave us Himself as an example to be imitated: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” (Mt. 11:29) If we do not learn from this great lesson in humility, we shall never make any progress in the way of Christian perfection. Nothing, says St. Augustine, is a greater barrier to perfection than pride. (Ps. 18:15) We must take care to lay the foundation stone of humility, therefore, before we can begin to build the edifice of Christian perfection.