Comments on: My Sole’s Desire http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/ This is where Fr Antonios writes his contemplations Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:54:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on My Sole’s Desire by: Fr. Antonios Kaldas http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-88 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:29:38 +0000 http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-88 Hi Abraam There is nothing wrong in rejoicing when you do something well, providing you give the credit where it is really due. Where did your good mark come from? Yes, you worked hard (I hope). But did you make yourself intelligent, or was it God who gave you intelligence? Did you choose a family for yourself that loved you and nourished and protected you and sent you to school, or was it God who put you in that family? Did you create your own conscience, or was it God who embedded in you the sense of knowing right from wrong? I could go on, but you get my drift? In fact, the more you love God, the more you WANT to give Him the praise - it makes you happy to see Him recognised as He deserves. Pride comes when we steal that recognition that belongs to Him selfishly for ourselves. The things we really deserve to be praised for are usually things that we have never even noticed (see the post for Nov 14th - "Is anyone hungry?") Fr Ant Hi Abraam
There is nothing wrong in rejoicing when you do something well, providing you give the credit where it is really due. Where did your good mark come from? Yes, you worked hard (I hope). But did you make yourself intelligent, or was it God who gave you intelligence? Did you choose a family for yourself that loved you and nourished and protected you and sent you to school, or was it God who put you in that family? Did you create your own conscience, or was it God who embedded in you the sense of knowing right from wrong? I could go on, but you get my drift?

In fact, the more you love God, the more you WANT to give Him the praise - it makes you happy to see Him recognised as He deserves.

Pride comes when we steal that recognition that belongs to Him selfishly for ourselves.

The things we really deserve to be praised for are usually things that we have never even noticed (see the post for Nov 14th - “Is anyone hungry?”)

Fr Ant

]]> Comment on My Sole’s Desire by: abraam http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-80 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:30:17 +0000 http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-80 Abouna how can we differentiate between self-esteem/feeling good about what we have achieved and the sin of pride. for example if i get a good mark at school, a promotion in work etc i tend to feel good about myself and what i have just done. is that a sense of pride? Abouna how can we differentiate between self-esteem/feeling good about what we have achieved and the sin of pride. for example if i get a good mark at school, a promotion in work etc i tend to feel good about myself and what i have just done. is that a sense of pride?

]]> Comment on My Sole’s Desire by: Shenouda Andrawis http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-78 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 04:54:22 +0000 http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-78 "Why must I be great / special / popular / successful / wealthy / powerful / admired / (fill in your own brand of pride here)???" Abouna this is very true a lot of the time we Consern our-selves with this notion of i must be ALL those things! Why do i really need the latest phone/camera/car/house/(fill in your own brand of goods), why do i NEED to beat this person for this promotion?. I remember something abouna gabriel said to me once "don't try and be st george or st mina or st bishoy, just be 'st shenouda' (in your case st ). Be yourself in otherwords. May God protect us from this GREAT sin, because I think Almost ALL sins are somehow connected to this illusive PRIDE! (scary)...may god grant us a knowledge of ourselves to know who we really and grant us humility in our hearts. “Why must I be great / special / popular / successful / wealthy / powerful / admired / (fill in your own brand of pride here)???”
Abouna this is very true a lot of the time we Consern our-selves with this notion of i must be ALL those things!

Why do i really need the latest phone/camera/car/house/(fill in your own brand of goods), why do i NEED to beat this person for this promotion?.

I remember something abouna gabriel said to me once “don’t try and be st george or st mina or st bishoy, just be ’st shenouda’ (in your case st ). Be yourself in otherwords.

May God protect us from this GREAT sin, because I think Almost ALL sins are somehow connected to this illusive PRIDE! (scary)…may god grant us a knowledge of ourselves to know who we really and grant us humility in our hearts.

]]> Comment on My Sole’s Desire by: Fr. Antonios Kaldas http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-76 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:12:17 +0000 http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-76 I once heard a sermon by the late Fr Matthew the Poor from which one phrase has always stuck in my mind. He said, "We do not touch God when we pray, or when we read the Bible, or when we fast, or when we go to Church, or when do metanias ... we only touch God when we humble ourselves before Him". To do those other things without humility is likely to be ineffective. I once heard a sermon by the late Fr Matthew the Poor from which one phrase has always stuck in my mind. He said, “We do not touch God when we pray, or when we read the Bible, or when we fast, or when we go to Church, or when do metanias … we only touch God when we humble ourselves before Him”. To do those other things without humility is likely to be ineffective.

]]> Comment on My Sole’s Desire by: tony http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-74 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:59:30 +0000 http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/wordpress/2007/11/07/my-soles-desire/#comment-74 I guess as St. Augustine said, "It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels." He also observed, "Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance. " I guess as St. Augustine said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” He also observed, “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance. “

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