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You think highly of yourself because you are honorable, and you take mercy as an excuse for pride. Finally, know who you are, like Adam, cast out from paradise, like Saul, abandoned by the Spirit of God, like Israel, cut off from the Holy Root. It is said: hold on by faith: do not be proud, but be afraid (Rom. 11:20). Mercy is followed by judgment, and the Judge examines how you used what was given to you by mercy. If you do not understand the very fact that you have been honored with grace, but in an excess of insensibility you turn grace into your own merit, then you are no more worthy than the blessed Apostle Peter, because in your love for the Lord you cannot surpass the one who loved so much that he wanted to die for Him. But since he expressed himself in a lofty manner, he said: Even if everyone is offended because of You, I will never be offended (Matt. 26:33), - he was given over to human fear, and fell even to the point of renunciation, admonished by the fall to be careful and taught to spare the weak by the consciousness of his own weakness and the clear understanding that just as, drowning in the sea, he was supported by the right hand of Christ, so, overwhelmed by temptation, exposed to the danger of perishing from unbelief, he was protected by the power of Christ, Who foretold him what would happen to him, saying: Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan asked to sow you like wheat, but I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail; and you, once converted, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:31, 32). And Peter, thus convicted, rightly received help, being admonished to put aside arrogance and have mercy on the weak. But this Pharisee, obnoxious and overly proud, not only boldly relying on himself, but also slandering the tax collector before God as guilty of pride, was deprived of praise for his righteousness. And the tax collector went away justified more than he (Luke 18:14), because he glorified the Holy God and did not dare to look up, but asked for mercy alone, blaming himself, which he showed both by his outward appearance and by beating his chest, and by the fact that he did not seek anything other than mercy. Therefore, look and keep in mind this example of how serious the harm of pride is, and learn from it. He who was proud has lost his righteousness, he who has boldly relied on himself has ruined his reward, he who has exalted himself before the humble and sinner has been humiliated, and he who has not waited for God’s judgment, but has pronounced judgment on him. And you should never be proud of anyone, even great sinners. Humility often saves those who have committed many and great sins. Do not justify yourself more than anyone else, so that, having been justified by your own verdict, you will not be condemned by the verdict of God. “I don’t judge myself,” says Pavel. - For although I do not know anything about myself, I am not justified by this: the Lord is my judge (1 Cor. 4:3, 4) (1). You might be interested in: