Da declaraçom breve dos pecados, e primeiro da soberba.
The Three Faces of Pride
The author outlines three primary manifestations of pride, contrasting human presumption with the necessity of divine grace and humility.
First, when we talk about pride, which stems from presumption and the desire for personal gain, it has three parts. First, because we think that we have brought things, or that we can bring some good outcome without the special help and grace of our Lord, for the good of our soul, health, and virtuous benefit or pleasure, wanting to resemble Lucifer who said: 'I will ascend and be like the Most High'; and this very thought is affirmed to be the cause of his fall. Our Lord spoke against this, saying that without the Father, nothing can be done; and the Apostle wrote, 'We are not sufficient to think anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.' Second, we think that we can be seen by our merits, or that our Lord is somehow obligated to reward us for the good works we do out of love for Him. To counter that idea, the Apostle said: "Not by the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to Your great mercy You saved us," and the Lord commanded us: "When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.'" Third, when we assume we’re very advanced in certain matters, yet act against reason or look down on others, it is said: You won't seek the strongest things, and you won't strive for the highest; you shall not tempt the Lord your God. This is illustrated in the Gospel by the Pharisee who approached the altar saying: Lord, I thank you that I am not like other men—murderers, thieves, or even like this tax collector; for I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of all I get. And the tax collector, standing far off, wouldn't even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And our Lord determines that this tax collector went home justified rather than the Pharisee who despised him, even though the Pharisee gave thanks for the good things he felt within himself.
Categorizing the Sin of Pride
Pride is further categorized by its spiritual and temporal origins, as well as its expression through thought, word, and deed.
From this pride, two other distinctions arise. One is called spiritual, and the other temporal. The spiritual kind arises from each of the ways mentioned above, through virtues and goodness; the temporal kind arises from power, wealth, subtlety, cunning, false appearances, strength of heart and body with good disposition, and thus from everything that pertains to this life. This sin has three other distinctions: first, that we fall into it through thought, by allowing ourselves to linger in it for a long time, or through the consent of a determined will. Second, through spoken words, or expressions and contents. Third, through actions that we do, command, or consent to for our own advantage, whether for harm or the downfall of others. And of the first distinctions, the third is generally the worst; the second is worse; and the first is much worse. The third distinction is both spiritual and temporal. And also from this third distinction of thought, speech, and actions, this distinction of deeds cannot clearly declare which is worse; but in all respects, let us recognize that we can fall into this sin, which we must greatly restrain if we think well about what is said that Our Lord contradicts the proud and strips them of grace, and lifts up the humble. And because I've seen many affected by this sin, with their presumptions, discontented and ungrateful, passing through sad and laborious lives, I made this counsel written here, which seems to me to be worth seeing laid out.
Read the original Latin
Fallando primeiro da soberba, que procede da presunçom e desejo de propria vantagem, em ella som tres partes.
Primeira, per que pensamos que as cousas trouxemos, ou podemos trazer a algũa boa fim sem special ajuda e graça de Nosso Senhor, para bem de nossa alma, saude, e bom proveito ou virtuoso prazer, querendo semelhar a Lucifel que disse: Subirey e serey semelhante ao muy alto; e aqueste soo pensamento se afirma seer aazo de sua queeda. E Nosso Senhor em contra desto disse, que sem o Padre cousa nom poderia fazer; e o Apostollo: Nom somos soficientes cuydar algũa cousa de nos assy como de nos, mes nossa soficiencia de Deos he.
Segunda que os bees nos veem per nossos merecimentos, ou que Nosso Senhor nos he em algũa cousa obrigado, pera nos galardoar serviços ou alguns bees que por seu amor façamos. E para tirar tal tençom dezia o Apostollo: Nom por as obras da justiça que fezemos, mes por a tua grande misericordia nos fezeste salvos; o Senhor nos mandou: Quando todas cousas bem fezerdes, dizee: Servos sem proveito somos.
Terceira, quando presumymos que somos em algũas cousas muyto avantejados, e porem contra razom as fezemos, ou os outros desprezamos, dos quaees se diz: As cousas mais fortes que ty nom buscaras, e as mais altas nom scoldrinharas, e nom tentaras o Senhor teu Deos; e no evangelho do fariseu, que se chegou ao altar dizendo: Senhor, graças te dou que nom som tal como quaesquer homeens matadores, roubadores, ou como este publicano; ca eu jejuu dous dias na somana, e de quanto ey dou a dizima. E o publicano de longe estando, os olhos ao ceeo nom se atrevya da levantar, dizendo: Amerceate de mym pecador. E Nosso Senhor determina que este publicano se partio muyto mais justo que o fariseu que o desprezava, ainda que lhe desse graças dos beens que sentia em sy.
E daquesta soberba som outras duas deferenças. Hũa que se chama spiritual, e outra temporal. A espiritual se levanta per cada hũa das guisas suso scriptas, por aazo das virtudes e bondades; e a temporal, em poderes, riquezas, sotilleza, manhas, boo parecer, fortelleza de coraçom e do corpo com boa desposiçom del, e assy de toda cousa que a esta vyda perteence.
E tem este pecado outras tres deferenças: Primeira, que cayamos em el per pensamento, deixandonos em el jazer perlongadamente, ou per consentymento da voontade determynada. Segunda, per palavras scriptas, ou mostranças e contenenças. Terceira, per obras que fazemos, mandamos, ou consentimos por nossa vantagem, e mal ou abatymento doutrem. E das primeiras deferenças a terceira, geeralmente fallando, he maa; e a segunda peor; e a primeira muyto peor. E a terceira discreçom spiritual temporal. E tambem desta terceira do pensamento, dicto, mostrança, e obras, tanto esta na deferença dos feitos que se nom podem bem declarar qual seja peor; mes por todas partes conheçamos que podemos em este pecado cayr, o qual muyto devemos de refrear, se bem pensarmos no que se diz que Nosso Senhor aos sobervosos contradiz, e os despoõe da seeda, e alevanta os omyldosos.
E porque eu vy muytos tocados deste pecado, com suas presunçoões, mal contentes, desagradecidos, passarem tristes e trabalhosas vidas, fiz este conselho ajuso scripto, o qual me parece que vem a rezom seer aquy tralladado.
The Loyal Counselor — Opening companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit