How serious is pride? Pride, the Mother and Queen of the Vices Saint Thomas is clear in defining the overarching vice or inspirer of all the seven capital vices. He defines it first as a disordered love for personal excellence in excess of right reason. Then, as a special sin, pride leads to a lack of subjection to God’s rule, or commandments, and the undue estimation of one’s abilities, thereby leading a person to raise himself above God’s providential design for him. Some of Sacred Scripture’s most important warnings deal with pride. I will list a few. Also in the link I provided. I am going to start with Mary's Canticle inspired by The Holy Ghost. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. The proud man overestimates himself, and believes himself the source of his own excellence. The virtue of humility, which disposes us to acknowledge our limitations, is opposed to pride. Some are proud of their appearance; others of their family, talents, position, money, and the virtues they imagine, they possess. Even if we do have excellent abilities or possessions, we should not be proud of them, remembering that they all come from God. Instead, we should be humbly thankful, and see in what way we can make a return to God for such gifts. Proverbs 16:5 Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord: though hand should be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice; and this is more acceptable with God, than to offer sacrifices. Proverbs 16:18, 19 Pride goeth before destruction: and the spirit is lifted up before a fall. It is better to be humbled with the meek, than to divide spoils with the proud. Romans 12:3 For I say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith. James 4:6 But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. "And I will break the pride of your stubbornness, and I will make to you the heaven above as iron, and the earth as brass: "But the soul that committeth any thing through pride, whether he be born in the land or a stranger (because he hath been rebellious against the Lord) shall be cut off from among his people: "I spoke, and you hearkened not: but resisting the commandment of the Lord, and swelling with pride, you went up into the mountain. "And all the people hearing it shall fear, that no one afterwards swell with pride. "But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of strange gods, shall be slain. "Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all perdition took its beginning. "A vain man is lifted up into pride, and thinketh himself born free like a wild ass's colt. Too many to list. GOD is telling us that pride is the greatest sin we can have. If we should not have it, why do people look up to, follow and admire someone who has immense pride? Shouldn't Catholics run from such a person?
Knowing, Loving, and Serving GOD and helping others in charity to learn the teaching of the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC CHURCH which JESUS CHRIST instituted is the beautiful way to Eternal Life.
Good read here. "Those tempted to lust should remember that man was made to the image and likeness of God." This is key. St. Theresa of Avila says that the recognition of a temptation as a temptation is progress in the spiritual life. With this a Catholic can then block it with the union that occurs at Holy Communion. Each time. Day by day. Our Lord will then eventually have you completely in His Holy Possession, while preserving and even enhancing the will.