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SERMON 34.

Concerning vainglory; John 10. Receiving glory from one another, the glory that is from God alone you do not

seek.

Gal. 5. Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another.

Prov. 12. Better is a man in dishonor serving himself, than one who puts honor upon himself and is in need of bread.

Sirach 1. Do not exalt yourself, lest you fall, and bring dishonor upon your soul.

Sirach 10. Vainglory is hateful before the Lord and men.

Vainglorious are they who enrich themselves, having nothing.

Basil. Vainglorious is he who does or says anything for the sake of mere glory in the world.

In truth, proud characters, when they are flattered, are wont to become even more disdainful.

For it is equally difficult both to preserve the soul unhumbled in difficult circumstances, and not to be lifted up in pride.

Theol. Vainglory is a great impediment to virtue for men.

(896) To suppose, takes away the greatest part of being.

It is very easy to deceive oneself and to suppose that one is something, when one is nothing, being puffed up by empty glory.

It is shameful for one who has mastery of small things, to be greatly puffed up. Do not think to appear better than the wicked; but be grieved when you are overcome by the good. Chrysost. Rightly therefore has it been called vainglory by the ancients. For it is utterly empty,

having nothing useful within; but just as masks, while they seem to be splendid and lovely, are empty within; wherefore also, being more comely than bodily faces, they never persuaded anyone to fall in love with them by sight; so, or rather more wretchedly, is the glory from the many.

Greg. Nyss. to boast in wealth, or to take pride in birth, or to look to glory, or to seem to be above one’s neighbor, by which human honors are fulfilled, all these things become a destruction of human honor and a reproach.

Philo. If you take away the substance of political affairs, you will find an empty, mindless pride.

Evagr. It is difficult to escape the demon of vainglory; for whatever you do to cast it down, this will become for you a beginning of vainglory.

John Clim. A thief detests the sun; but a proud man will despise the meek.

Socrat. The wind inflates empty wineskins; but conceit, foolish men.

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ΛΟΓΟΣ Λ∆´.

Περί κενοδοξίας· Ἰωάν. ι´. ∆όξαν παρ᾿ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες, τήν δόξαν τήν παρά μόνου Θεοῦ οὐ

ζητεῖτε.

Γαλ. ε΄ . Μή γενώμεθα κενόδοξοι, ἀλλήλους προκαλούμενοι.

Παροιμ. ιβ´. Κρείσσων ἀνήρ ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ δουλεύων ἑαυτῷ, ἤ ὁ τιμήν ἑαυτῷ περιθείς καί προσδεόμενος ἄρτου.

Σιράχ α΄ . Μή ἐξύψου σεαυτόν, ἵνα μή πέσῃς, καί ἐπάγῃς τῇ ψυχῆ σου ἀτιμίαν.

Σιράχ ι´. Μισητή ἐναντίον Κυρίου καί ἀνθρώπων ἡ κενοδοξία.

Κενόδοξοί εἰσιν οἱ πλουτίζοντες ἑαυτούς, μηδέν ἔχοντες.

Βασιλ. Κενόδοξός ἐστιν, ὁ ψιλῆς ἕνεκεν τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ δόξης ποιῶν τι ἤ λέγων.

Τῷ ὄντι θεραπευόμενα τά ὑπερήφανα ἤθη, ἑαυτῶν ὑπεροπτικώτερα πέφυκε γίνεσθαι.

Ὁμοίως γάρ ἐστι χαλεπόν ἔν τε δυσκολίαις πραγμάτων ἀταπείνωτον τήν ψυχήν διασώσασθαι, καί ἐν ταῖς ὑπερηφανείαις μή ἐπαρθῆναι.

Θεολ. Μέγα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἡ κενοδοξία πρός ἀρετήν ἐμπόδιον.

(896) Τό οἴεσθαι, τοῦ εἶναι τό πλεῖστον ἀφαιρεῖται.

Ῥᾷστον ἑαυτόν ἀπατᾷν καί οἴεσθαι εἶναί τι, οὐδέν ὄντα, ὑπό τῆς κενῆς δόξης φυσώμενον.

Αἰσχρόν μικρῶν κρατοῦντα, φυσᾶσθαι μέγα. Μή φρόνει τῶν κακῶν φαίνεσθαι κρείττων· Λυποῦ δέ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡττώμενος. Χρυσόστ. Εἰκότως ἄρα εἴρηται παρά τῶν παλαιῶν κενοδοξία. ∆ιάκενος γάρ ἐστιν,

ἔνδον οὐδέν ἔχουσά τι χρήσιμον· ἀλλ᾿ ὥσπερ τά προσωπεῖα, δοκεῖ μέν εἶναι λαμπρά καί ἐπέραστα, κενά δέ ἔνδοθέν ἐστι· ∆ιό καί τῶν σωματικῶν ὄψεων εὐπρεπέστερα ὄντα, οὐδένα οὐδέποτε πρός τόν ἔρωτα ἰδεῖν ἔπεισε τόν ἑαυτῶν· οὕτω, μᾶλλον δέ ἀθλιώτερον, καί ἡ παρά τῶν πολλῶν δόξα.

Γρηγ. Νύσ. τό ἐπί πλούτῳ κομπάζειν, ἤ γενέσει σεμνύνεσθαι, ἤ πρός δόξαν ὁρᾷν, ἤ δοκεῖν ὑπέρ τόν πέλας εἶναι, δι᾿ ὧν αἱ ἀνθρώπιναι πληροῦνται τιμαί, ταῦτα πάντα καθαίρεσις τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης τιμῆς καί ὄνειδος γίνεται.

Φίλων. Τῶν πολιτικῶν ἐάν τάς ὕλας ἀφέλῃς, κενόν τύφον εὑρήσεις νοῦν οὐκ ἔχοντα.

Εὐαγρ. Χαλεπόν διαφυγεῖν τόν τῆς κενοδοξίας δαίμονα· ὅ γάρ ποιήσῃς καθαιρήσων αὐτήν, τοῦτο ἀρχή σοι κενοδοξίας γενήσεται.

Ἰωάν. Κλίμ. Βδελύττεται ἥλιον κλέπτης· ὑπερήφανος δέ, πρᾳεῖς ἐξουδενώσει.

Σωκράτ. Τούς μέν κενούς ἀσκούς, τό πνεῦμα διΐστησι· τούς δέ ἀνοήτους ἀνθρώπους τό οἴημα.