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Part III: Spiritual and General Questions · 42

Thoughts of self-righteousness

Faith Q&A › Many Years with People's Questions › Part III

The question

What should I do when Satan attacks me with thoughts of self righteousness?.

The answer

There are two basic methods of fighting thoughts of self-righteousness, and they are for a person to remember his sins, and to recall the highest stages reached by the saints.

Recalling his sins will make a person humble, contrite and ashamed, because even a single sin can cause him to perish. Likewise, bringing to mind the highest stages which the saints attained in each form of virtue, will make a person realise how insignificant he is if he should compare himself to that level.

We must also attribute to God's grace, any virtue or goodness that we might have done, and must remember that self-righteousness will make God's grace forsake us and leave us to fall.. which would soon make us aware of our weakness and return to a humble position.

So you have to remember to be afraid of falling, whenever you submit to thoughts of self-righteousness because, 'Pride goes before a fall'.

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Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III of Blessed Memory

Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III of Blessed Memory, Many Years with People's Questions, Part III: Spiritual and General Questions. Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. Translated by Mrs. Glynis Younan, London. Revised by Mrs. Wedad Abbas. Second edition. Revised COEPA 1997. ISBN 977-00-2738-3.