On Pride and Blasphemous Thoughts

I have found a wonderful new blog! After hearing rumblings about some off-hand remarks made on the tv show, The View, I started poking around our Catholic blogsphere. I don't watch tv - we don't even have cable so . . . . no stations come in! I was familiar with The View having watched it a few years ago when we had friends sharing our house with us while theirs was treated for that gruesome toxic mold. They brought cable with them!
Anyway, back to the the blog. It is called Christ in Our Midst. And here is the post that caught my attention. You can click on the title of the post if you want to watch the YouTube clip from The View:

On mad pride, and, in the same Step, on unclean blasphemous thoughts

1. Pride is denial of God, an invention of the devil, the despising of men, the mother of condemnation, the offspring of praise, a sign of sterility, a flight from Divine assistance, the precursor of madness, the cause of falls, a foothold for satanic possession, a source of anger, a door of hypocrisy, the support of demons, the guardian of sins, that patron of pitilessness, the rejection of compassion, a bitter inquisitor, an inhuman judge, an opponent of God, a root of blasphemy.

2. The consummation of vainglory is the beginning of pride; the middle is the humiliation of our neighbor, the shameless parade of labors, self-praise in the heart, hatred of exposure; and the end is denial of God’s help, the extolling of one’s own exertions, fiendish character.

3. Let all of us who wish to avoid this pit listen: this passion often finds food in gratitude, for at first it does not shamelessly advise us to deny God. I have seen people who thank God with their mouth, but mentally magnify themselves. And this is confirmed by that Pharisee who said ironically: O God, I thank Thee (Luke 18:11).

~ St John Climacus from The Ladder of Divine Ascent

Catholic Notebook is, in part, a place where I gather opinions that I esteem, information, and resources. You will find many complete posts quoted here. This is an on-going virtual notebook for my students, for my family, friends and for me. If you have happened upon this Catholic Notebook feel free to look around.

The Ladder of Divine Ascent Monastery of St Catherine Sinai 12th century ~~~~>