Lent with the Early Church Fathers Day 17

Day 17

Lent with the Early Church Fathers

A daily post from Tom Bandy 

Based on Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Eds. Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker: Hendrickson Press, 1999) 

Satisfaction 

Augustine 

Pride is the craving for undeserved glory. And this is undeserved glory: when the soul abandons the One it should cling to for sufficiency and become self-reliant. This happens when the soul is satisfied with itself. It falls away from the unchangeable good that would satisfy it had than itself.  

And this falling away is spontaneous. For the will should remain in love with the higher, changeless good that illumines it to intelligence and kindles it into love. Then it wouldn’t become so dark and cold by turning to find satisfaction in itself.  

We didn’t fall so far away that we became absolutely nothing. Instead, by turning toward ourselves, our souls become more secluded than when we clung to the Supreme One. Similarly, to exist in oneself, that is, to be one’s own satisfaction after abandoning God, isn’t to become a nobody. But, the holy Scriptures designate another name to proud people: “self – pleasers.”  

Therefore, it is good to lift up the heart. But it isn’t good to lift it up to oneself; that is pride. It is good only to lift our hearts up to the Lord, for that is obedience and humility. 

TGB: When our will satisfies only our egos, we live in the dark and our souls grow cold. Not only do we withdraw from God, but we withdraw from human relationships as well. But when our will strives to satisfy God ‘s will … God’s commandments to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves … then, indeed, our souls live in the glow of God’s light and warm every human relationship.