 |
| Masks of Agamemnon from Wiki |
I love Greek drama and this genre shows us over and over the wheel of fortune flipping around from worldly success to abject failure. The Greek idea of hubris, gross pride, is that it is the primal sin, causing disease in the soul and in the community. Shakespeare picked up on this theme that when a leader falls into pride, the entire community falls into decline. Most of his monster antagonists are full of pride-the list is long.
Hubris, or pride, involves believing that one is greater than one is, that one's talents are more important than other peoples', that one feels superior to others.
Pride relies on an excessive view of one's self. Pride makes one the center of one's life. God is no longer God but the self is. Narcissism is an example of pride.
 |
| Electra |
Dante puts those who are proud in hell, and links treachery and betrayal with pride. Pride creates a false world in which one puts one's needs, morals, goals, desires and passions at the center.
In the depths of hell is Lucifer, with Judas, Cassius, and Brutus, those who rebelled against authority, placing their own treachery in the same category as the rebellion of Satan. Pride dictates that one is above the law, all laws.
 |
| The Last Supper, Bloch, Wiki |
I am pointing out one aspect of pride, that of betrayal. Why I am emphasizing this aspect in Advent may be puzzling for some.
Ask yourself, "Who am I betraying this Christmas?"
The answer may well be Christ Himself, Who came into the world to Love us all.
Are you betraying a spouse, a friend?
Are you betraying the Truth? Are you betraying children in the womb?
Are you betraying yourself through compromise and habitual sin?
Have you chosen money and status over your soul?
Betrayal is rebellion.
Betrayal is rooted in pride. Lucifer's sin happened in the blink of an eye. But, Judas' sin festered over a long period of time. He did not just decide to turn against Christ in a few weeks. We practice pride until it become natural, deadly so.
Pride is betrayal of ourselves as to who we are, and to what we have been called.
Ask the Lady Mary, Our Mother to make you humble, in imitation of her. This entire season is one of humility-a young woman, an unknown faithful man, a Little Baby all forced into the lowest place of rest-a stable.
