This continues the 22nd Step on the Ladder, namely VAINGLORY. I ended the last issue by relating John’s thought that vainglory can truly be present if one is scandalized at the sins of others. He very clearly says that the only sins that we should be scandalized by are our own. Truly sage advice.

St. John does, however, point out that we must have discernment in this matter. We should bear in mind that those who are scandalized are weak Christians. However harsh and judgmental they may be, we should condescend, in the spirit of Christ, to be understanding of their weakness, just as they should truly condescend and be compassionate toward those who are guilty of sins of a different nature. Otherwise we are caught in the grips of vainglory.

The greatest example of Christians who are free of vainglory are the saints known as fools for Christ. These are rare and remarkable saints. They are only known in the Eastern Church. They did not wish to be deemed holy, but instead opted to be condemned as unrighteous. They did not seem to care much about scandalizing their brethren. They broke the mold, overturning the stereotype of saints and all the real conventions of society, especially the religious society. They did not care for social decorum or politeness. They concealed their asceticism, trying to give the impression that they did not observe the fasts of the Church and that they were hypocrites.

These saints were truly as free of vainglory as anyone could possibly imagine! Criticism did not phase them in the slightest, and they fled flattery and compliments like the plague. For vainglory is, as St. John writes, a taking note of criticism, while it is a great achievement to shrug the praise of men off one’s shoulders…. Men of high spirit endure offense nobly and willingly. But only the holy and saintly can pass unscathed through praise. I’m sure that we truly don’t understand this way of living. They were, however, declared saints.