At the Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated Wednesday with priests from the Huși Deanery, His Grace Bishop Ignatie spoke about the damaging effects of selfishness and urged the faithful to glorify God rather than seek personal praise.
His Grace recalled the example of a Desert Father who prayed that God would not glorify him before others, fearing that such praise would draw his attention away from God’s glory.
“Unfortunately, we seek to be the center of attention, to be praised by others, neglecting the fact that God should be the true center of our lives,” said Bishop Ignatie. “We take a bit of this human praise and deceive ourselves—believing that by praying or showing reverence, we’re truly honoring God. But it’s a lie. When someone seeks worldly honor at all costs, they ignore the glory of God.”
“When people begin to idolize their own egos, the world turns into a jungle—a competition of egos. Everyone tries to be the center, and whether in the family, society, workplace, or even globally, the result is madness,” the bishop added.
He cited Saint Paul, who said that those who idolize their own ideas “exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of corruptible man.”
Why we suffer
“In simple terms, this is the person who sells eternity for what is temporary, who trades what is lasting for what is fleeting,” the bishop said.
Bishop Ignatie emphasized that this is why we often suffer and feel tormented: “We let fluid, passing things take hold of our lives—things we cannot truly rely on. Even when our conscience clings to them, our inner life becomes inconsistent and unstable, built on the ephemeral.”
“Let us ask the Lord to give us a humble heart,” he concluded, “and help us seek His divine glory and light more than the fleeting glory that comes from people—a glory that so often intoxicates us.”
Photo credit: Diocese of Huși
