Day 15 (3rd Monday of the Great Fast)

“And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)

“When people praise you, be very circumspect because then you are in a dangerous situation.

Many people do not know the true value of things and of actions, and therefore they value and praise things that in the sight of the Lord God and of sensible people are worth nothing. And because praise is pleasing to our self-esteem and vainglory, and self-esteem and vainglory are gullible, we eagerly accept another’s false praise as true praise, put a halt to seeking perfection, become more imperfect, die unreformed and perish. Therefore, consider as impartially as possible whether what others praise in you deserves praise from the Lord and from prudent people, because only that which is worthy of praise from the Lord God and from people devoted to Him should be important for us. What does praise from people matter when we are unworthy of praise from the Lord God?

People who want to deceive us in something or get from us some earthly benefit always approach us with obsequiousness, that is, with some degree of praise for us. They often quite intentionally praise in us something that we do not at all have, or that we do have, but not yet at such a high degree to justify so much praise. And if we are a bit puffed up, it will be almost impossible to tell that he who praises us is a flatterer and a liar, because he tells us exactly what pleases us. We easily accept his cunning praise as truth, and the person himself as one who likes us and is well disposed towards us. But such a deception is very harmful for us, because with such a deception we receive a false understanding of ourselves and become confirmed in this false understanding of ourselves. And with a false understanding of ourselves, our reform, and consequently our salvation, is quite impossible.”

Metropolitan Gregory (Postikov) of St Petersburg

3rd Monday of the Holy Great Fast 

• (Day 15) Don’t be deceived by praise (i)
• (Day 14) Sunday of the Temptation in the Wilderness
• (Day 13) Love your enemy
• (Day 12) Serve others without partiality
• (Day 11) Serve others
• (Day 10) Love your neighbor as yourself (ii)
• (Day 9) Love your neighbor as yourself
• Day 8) Through your love for God
• (Day 7) Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
• (Day 6) Give your heart to God
• (Day 5) Make God Himself your way
• (Day 4) How? Seek to grow in the likeness of God
• (Day 3) How? Unite with God through prayer 
• (Day 2) How? Fulfill the will of God
• (Day 1) How? Be devoted to God
• How To Live a Holy Life (The Holy Great Fast 2018)