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The Light of the World
Monday
The Pharisee and the publican represent pride and humility. In a more general way we can identify
the Pharisee with the proud, self-assured agnostic who sees no need for God, a Redeemer,
a Church, or prayer. Similarly the Church is the publican who humbly and fervently beseeches
God to grant her light and grace for doing good, who does not trust in herself, but expects
everything from Him and His mercy. She, the Church, “went down to [her] house justified
rather than the other,” the unbeliever, the proud; “because every one that exalteth himself shall
be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Gospel).
“Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled.” The proud man trusts in his ability to do
everything by his own strength. He needs neither God nor man; he is self-sufficient. But what
is the consequence of such a point of view? He is bound daily to experience how little man is
able to do by himself, how many mistakes he makes, how often he is a failure. Because he suffers
grievous disappointments daily, he becomes peevish and impatient. Seeking only his own
honor, his plans and changing interests center around his own advantage; following the ideas of
the moment, he is continually kept in a state of excitement, tension, and unrest. Pride is always
narrow-minded and centers entirely around its own petty interests. Being its own reward, it
shall be humbled. For the proud man not only is rejected by God, he is despised by his fellow
men as well, even when they flatter and serve him; besides, he becomes his own burden and
punishment. There is no blessing on the proud. “God resisteth the proud” (1 Pt 5:5). Thus pride
leads to interior unrest and remorse; it weakens a man’s strength because he will not rely on
God’s power. The proud man relies entirely on his own talents, knowledge, prowess, and efforts,
which are but a “broken staff of a reed, . . . upon which if a man lean, it will go into his hand and
pierce it” (Is 36:6). Pride is weakness. “The foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that
He may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that He may
confound the strong” (1 Cor 1:27).
“He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” In humility there is strength. It is always and
everywhere accompanied by generosity. Humility is the ornament of all the other virtues; it is
never satisfied with the outward appearance of things, with things done by halves; neither does
it long for the satisfaction of trivial and passing success. Never tired of doing good, it is most
happy when it brings a sacrifice; it is resourceful in giving proofs of its charity. The humble man
does not think of himself. He does not care much about the opinions of the world and of men,
about his own honor and advantages, about the satisfaction of his own desires. He is concerned
only about God’s holy will and His glory; he counts nothing important except God, and heeds
only what comes from God and leads to Him. A humble man is unselfish, and therefore without
envy and jealousy. His concern is “that by all means . . . Christ be preached” (Phil 1:18). The
misdeeds of his fellow men do not discourage him; on the contrary, they are an incitement for
him to be all the more faithful by serving the community and his neighbor. A humble man is also
courageous. Threats, mockery, and calumny do not disturb him; flatteries cannot seduce him.
He is ready to do whatever God’s will demands of him. When difficult and humiliating tasks are
entrusted to him, he fears neither the efforts nor the sacrifices involved; he knows he can do all
things in Him who is his strength. The less a humble man trusts in himself, the more unshakable
is his confidence that God’s power will render all things possible. How often it happens that
great men, working unceasingly, leave hardly a trace of their efforts to posterity, while others,
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