All Puffed Up with Pride

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Click Here for Readings)

Gospel of Mark 9:30-37

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent.For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Why is pride one of the seven deadly sins?  It places the selfish ego above everything else.  Pride makes us think we are supreme beings.  Oftentimes, a prideful man (or woman) looks his (her) head down on others.  It's all about me, myself and I.   People puffed up with pride think the world revolves around them.  These people are so attractive, wealthy and educated that they assume others should bow down  and worship them.  In many instances, pride  leads to idolatry.  The prideful prefer to worship  themselves and their material gains instead of Our Lord and His heavenly reign!

Interesting the disciples remain silent when Jesus asks what the arguing was all about.  The disciples understand all too well their talk about "who's the greatest" wasn't  fruitful conversation.  Instead of arguing who's greatest among their group, they should all unanimously agree that God is the greatest.  Aren't they serving their Lord and savior?  Haven't they been commissioned to be humble and good role models to others? Why engage in all this prideful talk about who is the greatest?  Rest assured, a person who thinks of himself as first will be seen as last in the eyes of God.

With a prideful attitude, we are less likely to help others because we think we are so much better.  In fact, we can easily turn people off by our arrogance.  Nobody wants to put up with someone too full of himself.  I've met some stunning men in my lifetime.....and they were very well aware of their beauty.  One guy I briefly dated regularly manicure his nails and treated his skin with tea tree oil.  His gorgeous outer appearance masked a very hollow interior.  He simply was not all that great.  In fact, he treated women like  garbage.  He quickly threw me out to the curb when I was  a little too honest.  He wasn't used to a woman NOT swooning over him, falling for his superficiality.  Moreover, he wasn't used to a woman a thousand times smarter!  (Yikes, now I sound prideful!)

Pride is an easy sin for all of us to fall into.  Let's always keep in mind that God is the greatest.  We are small in comparison!

-J.