Choose a topic from Part 2B:
1. Glory, in the present use of the term, meanspraise that is given to excellence displayed. Such praise may befrom many persons, or from few, or from one, or even from oneself.Now, glory can be vain in three ways: (a) when it is praise forsomething unworthy; (b) when it is praise given by unworthypersons; (c) when it is praise unrelated to God directly, orindirectly as contributing to the spiritual good of man. For any ofthese reasons, glory is called vainglory. Vainglory ismanifestly an inordinateness, and is therefore a sin.
2. Magnanimity refers to honors, and glory is an effect ofhonor; thus true glory falls into the field of magnanimity.Therefore vainglory, the opposite of true glory, is an evil opposedto magnanimity.
3. It is possible for vainglory to be a serious sin, but,for the most part, it is a venial sin. In itself, it is notnecessarily opposed to charity. When, accidentally, it is broughtinto conflict with charity, it is a mortal sin.
4. Vainglory is not mentioned in the list of capital sins.Yet St. Gregory (Moral. xxxi) names it with pride. He saysthat pride is the greatest vice and is found in all sins, but thatvainglory is an immediate offspring of pride, and should be namedas one of the capital sins.
5. St. Gregory further says that vainglory, as a capitalsin, gives direct rise to disobedience, boastfulness, hypocrisy,contention, obstinacy, discord, and the craze for what is new.These vices, St. Gregory calls "the daughters ofvainglory."
"God looks neither at long nor beautiful prayers, but at those that come from the heart."
The Cure D'Ars
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"He who wishes to be perfectly obeyed, should give but few orders."
St Philip Neri
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"As the flesh is nourished by food, so is man supported by prayers"
St Augustine
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