Part 1, lesson 11. Of Pride, and of the desire of honor, which we must resist

Q. Must we never desire to be honored ?

A. No; for this is to desire the property of another, the pro perty of God; it is to be a thief; it is, according to St. Paul, to commit a robbery;* it is to steal from God that which is most dear to him, his glory, which he assures us he will never give to another, t

Q. It is then a sacrilegious

• Philip ii, 6.

t Gloriam meam alter! non dabo. Is. xlii, 8, et xlviii, 2.

theft, since it is robbing God himself?

A. Yes, it is to rob from the altar of God and from his hands that which he declares he will not give up or yield to any one.

Q. Pride is then a great sin ?

A. Yes, and it is for this reason that it is so rigorously punished in the demons, and that it is said in scripture that God resists the proud;* as if they wished to wrest from his hands, in spite of him, his most precious treasure.

Q. The punishment of pride then is not only an effect of the

• Deus superbis resislit. Jacob, iv, 6 ; et 1. Petr. v, 5.

anger of God, but also of his indignation ?

A. Yes; it is a consequence of the resistance of God, irritated against the proud, who wish to rob him of his honor, and upon whom he finally discharges his anger, enkindled and changed into fury.

Q. Men are then very much deceived, when they run after honor, since they are not per mitted to desire it ?

A. That is true; for if we retain for ourselves the honor offered us, without referring it to God, we expose ourselves to the dan ger of offending him grievously, and of exciting his indignation against us.

Q. What must we do, when we discover in us the desire of being honored, when we feel joy from the praises given to us and the esteem evinced in our favor ?

A. When we perceive in our selves this desire of being no ticed and esteemed, we must renounce it, and confound our selves, at feeling in our hearts sentiments that had their birth in hell and are like those which hurled Satan and his angels into everlasting damnation.

Q. How is this ?

A. It is because Satan, as I have already said, desired to be esteemed and honored by his fellow angels; he even enticed them to give him honor and praise, which he received from them with joy. God grant that we may never have such senti ments, since they damned the angels themselves.

Q. You must not say this; for the desire of honor and es teem will be in us until death; and this desire is not a sin, provided we resist it.

A. That is true; for the good and bad angels were equal Iv attacked by the temptation; but the latter yielded to it, and not the former; these resisted it, and were crowned; the others con sented to it, and were damned.

Q. What must we then do ?

A. Never adhere to these sentiments, and never take any pleasure in them.