ego Archives - Page 7 of 8

Father Maximos on Our Greatest Enemy, the Ego

09/16/2014

Fr. Maximos never ceased repeating that our greatest enemy is our ego, what psychologists would call “narcissism,” and that we can work on that ego as we go about our daily affairs. He then mentioned Abba Dorotheos, an early Father of the Ecclesia who instructed his monks on how to confront their desires so that they might undermine their egotism. “He taught them simple exercises. If for example they were hungry and curious to find

We Live in the Shadowlands of Paradox

08/04/2014

All God appears to want from us is honesty and humility (and they are finally the same thing). If God is holding out for human perfection, God is going to have a long wait. There is no other way to read Jesus’ stories of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) or the publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14). In each story, the one who did wrong ends up being right—simply because he is honest and humble

The Problem of “Ego”

01/29/2014

The problem of “ego” is so recurring in different religions, through successive periods of history and under various disguises, that we know we are dealing with some foundational and core issue, and one that must be almost unconscious. It is an issue that cannot be dealt with by simply being “moral” about this or that, or joining the right group; but by a fundamental “dying” which almost all of us are afraid to do. As

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT (II)

01/27/2014

Fr. Maximos went on to comment on the next fruit of the Holy Spirit, which according to St. Paul is kindness. “In the Greek original, Paul refers to kindness as chrestotis, with the Greek e in the chre and not with an i as it is in Christotis, meaning ‘being anointed by Christ,’ or ‘becoming Christified.’ Chrestotis with an e means something different. It means usefulness. It seems that what the apostle meant is that

Ego

01/22/2014

We don’t teach meditation to the young monks. They are not ready for it until they stop slamming doors. — Thich Nhat Hanh to Thomas Merton in 1966 The piercing truth of this statement struck me as a perfect way to communicate the endless disguises and devices of the false self. There is no more clever way for the false self to hide than behind the mask of spirituality. The human ego will always try

Power, Love and Life’s Journey

10/21/2013

There are always two worlds. The world as it operates is largely about power; the world as it should be, or “the Reign of God,” is always about love. Conversion is almost entirely about moving from one world to the next, and yet having to live in both worlds at the same time. As you allow yourself to loosen your grip on the ego or bad forms of power, you will gradually see the inadequacy

The Art of Letting Go

07/01/2013

It is good to remember that a part of you has always loved God. There is a part of you that has always said yes. There is a part of you that is Love itself, and that is what we must fall into. It is already there. Once you move your identity to that level of deep inner contentment, you will realize you are drawing upon a Life that is much larger than your own

Desert Fathers and Mothers and the Patristic Period

03/11/2013

The desert Fathers and Mothers were honestly not referred to that much, because they just told little stories. These stories seemed like harmless anecdotes, and we wanted to go ahead with serious religion. But in the last 30 years, there’s been a rediscovery of the absolute simplicity of their message and the fact that it isn’t concerned about the issues that we’ve been concerned about in recent centuries. In fact, they’re usually concerned about the

Feast of the Holy Innocents (Tomorrow, December 29)

12/28/2012

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW recounts King Herod’s reaction to the news of the Incarnation. Herod was the leader of the Jewish people under the authority of Rome during the time of Christ’s birth. Cherishing his crown more than anything, he was threatened by the news brought to him by the Magi: that an infant born in Bethlehem would be a long, as the prophets had foretold. In order to eliminate this potential threat to his

Letting Go, Forgiveness, and Paradox

11/02/2012

What does letting go on the practical level tell us? Letting go is different than denying or repressing. To let go of something is to admit it. You have to own it. Letting go is different than turning it against yourself; different than projecting it onto others. Letting go means that the denied, repressed, rejected parts of yourself, which are nonetheless true, are seen for what they are; but you refuse to turn them against

Tags

Father Maximos on Our Greatest Enemy, the Ego

We Live in the Shadowlands of Paradox

The Problem of “Ego”

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT (II)

Ego

Power, Love and Life’s Journey

The Art of Letting Go

Desert Fathers and Mothers and the Patristic Period

Feast of the Holy Innocents (Tomorrow, December 29)

Letting Go, Forgiveness, and Paradox

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