Episode 3209: The Hidden Enemy: Vainglory and the Love of Praise

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Book Recommendation of the Day
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino: Patron of the Holy Souls
• A concise biography by Michael Di Gregorio, offering insights into Nicholas’s life and his role as the patron of souls in Purgatory.
• Typically available in paperback; about 69 pages.
“The Hidden Enemy: Desert Fathers on Vainglory and the Love of Praise”
Introduction: The Battle for the Heart
Today we explore one of the most subtle but dangerous temptations confronted by the Desert Fathers: vainglory.
Unlike anger or lust, vainglory attacks even our good works. Evagrius of Pontus, one of the great teachers of the desert, listed vainglory among the eight deadly thoughts, noting that it creeps into fasting, prayer, almsgiving even silence.
St. John Cassian called it a vice with “a thousand forms,” because no matter what a monk did, vainglory whispered: “Show it off. Be admired. Let others see how holy you are.”
Why is this relevant today? Because we live in an age that thrives on self-display. Social media encourages us to broadcast every good deed, every opinion, every devotion. The Fathers warn us: if we seek the applause of men, we lose the reward of God.
Segment 1: What is Vainglory?
The Fathers of the Desert were masters at identifying the subtle movements of the human heart, and among all the temptations they faced, one stood out for its deceptive power: vainglory.
The Greek word is kenodoxia literally empty glory. It refers to the craving for recognition, honor, or applause. It is the desire to be admired, not for God’s sake, but for our own. Glory that should be given to God is instead stolen for oneself.
Evagrius on the Demon of Vainglory
Evagrius of Pontus, one of the greatest spiritual psychologists of the Desert tradition, described vainglory as perhaps the most dangerous of all temptations:
“The demon of vainglory is most skilled of all. It makes its entrance when the monk has overcome other vices. It urges him to display his virtues to men, to seek their praise, and to hunger for human approval.” (Praktikos, §14)
Notice what Evagrius is saying. Vainglory does not usually attack at the beginning of the spiritual life, when a person is still lost in obvious sins. Rather, it waits until some progress has been made. It comes when a man has already renounced lust, gluttony, or anger then whispers: “Now show the world how holy you are.”
This is what makes vainglory insidious: it corrupts even the good. The man who fasts may begin to fast not for God, but to be admired as disciplined. The woman who prays long hours may begin to hope that others will notice her zeal. Even the hermit in the desert could fall prey to thoughts of renown that word of his holiness might spread, that he might be revered as a saint.
Cassian: The Vice With a Thousand Faces
St. John Cassian, who carried the wisdom of the Desert Fathers into the West, explained this in vivid detail:
“Vainglory is a vice with a thousand forms. It tempts the monk when he fasts, when he prays, when he keeps silence, when he teaches, when he obeys. Whatever you do, it suggests the thought of winning human praise.” (Institutes, Book XI)
Cassian calls vainglory a vice with a thousand forms because it adapts to whatever virtue you practice. If you speak eloquently, it tempts you to show off your wisdom. If you remain silent, it tempts you to look pious and mysterious. If you teach, it suggests pride in your knowledge. If you obey, it whispers that others will admire your humility.
No matter what you do fasting, praying, working, even suffering vainglory lurks nearby, trying to twist it into an opportunity for human praise.
Vainglory vs. Pride
It’s important to distinguish vainglory from pride. Pride seeks to exalt oneself over God, to claim independence from Him, to say, like Lucifer, “I will not serve.”
Vainglory is subtler. It does not necessarily reject God outright. Instead, it hides inside the appearance of virtue. A person may still pray, still fast, still serve the poor but in his heart, the motivation is poisoned.
Instead of saying, “I want God to be glorified,” vainglory whispers, “I want to be noticed. I want to be admired. I want to be praised.”
In this way, vainglory can make even the holiest actions spiritually barren.
A Modern Example
Let’s make this practical.
Imagine a man praying the Rosary in a parish. Outwardly, it looks good. Inwardly, two different scenarios might be unfolding.
• In the first, he prays because he loves Our Lady and wants to honor her Son. His heart is fixed on heaven. His prayer rises like incense before God.
• In the second, he prays, but his eyes dart around the church to see if others are watching. He imagines what they think of him “What a devout man, so faithful to the Rosary!” His lips are moving, but his heart is focused not on God, but on himself.
The act is the same, but the spirit behind it is radically different. The first is a prayer of humility. The second is poisoned by vainglory.

The Spiritual Danger
Why is vainglory so dangerous? Because it diverts the soul from its true end. Instead of longing for heaven, it settles for the applause of earth.
Christ warns us of this in the Sermon on the Mount:
• “When you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do… that they may be honored by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:2)
• “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues… that they may be seen by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:5)
That phrase is chilling: “They have received their reward.” If we act for the sake of human admiration, then the admiration itself is the only reward we get. But the eternal reward the glory of heaven is lost.
An Inspirational Reminder
The Desert Fathers saw vainglory as a lifelong enemy, one that never fully disappears. But they also saw it as an opportunity for humility. Every time vainglory tempted them, they had a chance to redirect their intention back to God, to purify their motives, to embrace humility more deeply.
As Cassian said, the monk cannot avoid vainglory completely, but he can “trample it down” by remembering that God alone is the Judge.
For us today, this is both sobering and encouraging. Sobering, because it shows how easy it is to let vainglory infiltrate even our best deeds. Encouraging, because it means every temptation to vainglory can be transformed into an act of humility if we consciously choose to give God the glory.
Closing Thought for Segment 1
So what is vainglory? It is empty glory the hollow applause of men, the desire to be admired for our supposed holiness, intelligence, or virtue.
The Fathers teach us to recognize it for what it is: a demon that feeds on our good works, trying to make us serve ourselves instead of God.
But the cure begins with awareness. Once we see the difference between true virtue and vainglory, we can begin to pray like St. John the Baptist:
“He must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
Segment 2: Why Vainglory is More Dangerous Today
The Desert Fathers fought vainglory in their caves and monasteries. They had no cameras, no microphones, no social media feeds yet they feared this vice constantly. Now think about our modern world, where everything is designed to be seen, liked, shared, and praised. If vainglory was dangerous in the desert, it is lethal in the digital age.
1. A Culture Built on Visibility
In the fourth century, vainglory tempted monks to leave their cells, to be noticed by their brethren, or to earn a reputation for holiness. Today, the temptation is amplified exponentially.
• Social Media Platforms – Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube thrive on self-display. The question is no longer “Am I living a holy life before God?” but “How many people saw, liked, or followed me today?”
• Curated Image – People spend hours choosing the right filter, the right words, the right caption not necessarily to share truth, but to craft admiration. This is vainglory industrialized.
• Constant Audience – Unlike the Desert Fathers, who battled vainglory within small monastic communities, we live before a worldwide stage. The craving for applause is now global.
Evagrius said vainglory tempts most strongly after some virtue is gained. How many Catholics today, after adopting traditional devotions, are tempted to flaunt them online rather than simply offer them to God?
The Poisoning of Good Works
The Fathers warned that vainglory seeps into every action. Today, the opportunities for contamination are endless.
• Charity: A person donates to the poor but posts about it publicly. Christ already warned us: “When you give alms, sound not a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do… Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:2)
• Devotion: A Catholic prays the Rosary daily, which is good. But when the intention becomes, “I want others to see how devoted I am,” the Rosary becomes a stage prop.
• Knowledge: A layman studies the Fathers or the Latin Mass, but then wields this knowledge to belittle others. Vainglory has turned wisdom into a weapon.
St. John Cassian’s warning rings true:
“Whatever you do, it suggests the thought of winning human praise.” (Institutes XI)
This means even our purest intentions must constantly be purified, because in today’s world, the temptation to display holiness is stronger than ever.
The Age of “Virtue Signaling”
What Cassian called vainglory, we now call virtue signaling the habit of showcasing moral or religious behavior not for God, but for social approval.
• In the secular world, this appears as public declarations of fashionable causes, designed to earn applause.
• In the Church, it can appear as ostentatious displays of tradition, charity, or knowledge done more for recognition than for sanctity.
The Fathers would immediately recognize this as the noonday demon of vainglory. It looks holy, but it is hollow.
Why It’s More Dangerous Today
There are at least three reasons why vainglory is uniquely perilous in our time:
1. Technology Magnifies It
A monk’s vainglory might reach a dozen brethren. Our vainglory can reach thousands with a single post. The reach of temptation has expanded beyond measure.
2. The Culture Rewards It
The world praises those who can brand themselves. Likes, views, and followers are treated as proof of worth. The more you chase them, the more vainglory becomes normalized, even applauded.
3. It Infiltrates Religion Itself
Even within the Church, good works can become stages for self-promotion. Ministries, choirs, even apostolates can become platforms for ego rather than altars for God.
Thus, vainglory today is not only more accessible, it is almost encouraged by society as a virtue — when in reality, it is a vice.

The Traditional Catholic Response
From a Traditional Catholic perspective, this calls for a radical return to humility. The Fathers would counsel us:
• Guard Secrecy in Piety: As Christ taught, let fasting, almsgiving, and prayer be hidden. The moment they become performances, they are emptied of merit.
• Detach from Applause: Do not confuse popularity with holiness. Saints like St. Philip Neri deliberately deflected admiration, even doing silly things in public to kill vainglory.
• Cling to the Cross: True discipleship is not glamorous. It is obscure, sacrificial, and often misunderstood. The Cross, not the crowd, is the measure of sanctity.
• Re-examine Motives: Ask before every action: Is this for the glory of God, or for myself? If it’s the latter, it must be purified.
The Desert Fathers’ Relevance
Cassian described vainglory as “a vice with a thousand forms.” In the digital age, it has ten thousand.
The Fathers could not have imagined smartphones, but they knew the human heart. They knew how easily even prayer and good deeds can be twisted. Their wisdom, therefore, is not outdated it is prophetic.
St. Augustine’s words remain true:
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (cf. James 4:6, quoted in City of God).
The humble are hidden with Christ. The vainglorious, though they may trend for a moment, vanish like smoke.
Closing Thought for Segment 2
So why is vainglory more dangerous today? Because it has more tools, more reach, and more cultural acceptance than ever before. The demon the Fathers fought in solitude now has global microphones.
But the remedy remains the same: humility, secrecy, and a constant return to Christ’s words:
“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)
Segment 3: The Desert Fathers’ Remedies
The Desert Fathers were not content merely to diagnose the sickness of vainglory. They also prescribed remedies, concrete practices rooted in humility, silence, and love of God. These remedies remain as relevant today as they were in the fourth century, because the human heart has not changed — only the tools of temptation have multiplied.
Secrecy in Good Works
Christ’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is foundational:
“When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-4)
The Fathers took this literally. They advised hiding good works, avoiding outward displays of fasting, prayer, or almsgiving.
St. John Cassian wrote:
“Whatever good we do must be hidden, lest it be defiled by the desire for human praise.” (Institutes XI.5)
For us, this might mean supporting the poor quietly, fasting without drawing attention, or even resisting the urge to announce spiritual practices online. In an age of constant display, secrecy becomes an act of love for God.

The Remembrance of Death and Judgment
The Fathers constantly recalled their mortality. By meditating on the shortness of life and the certainty of judgment, they stripped vainglory of its appeal.
The Sayings of the Desert Fathers record one monk advising:
“Remember that you will die, and you will not sin.”
Human praise fades quickly; the grave swallows applause. But the judgment of Christ is eternal. When the thought of death is kept before us, the craving for admiration seems petty, even laughable.
Humility Through Obedience
Evagrius warned that vainglory especially tempts those who excel in learning or asceticism. The antidote is obedience. By submitting even one’s gifts to a superior or spiritual elder, the ego is restrained and vainglory loses its grip.
St. Dorotheus of Gaza (a later inheritor of the Desert tradition) taught:
“Obedience is the burial of the will and the resurrection of humility.”
For lay Catholics today, obedience takes the form of fidelity to Church teaching, docility to spiritual directors, and humility in family life. We fight vainglory not by asserting ourselves, but by accepting the cross of submission to God’s will and lawful authority.
Silence Against Boasting
One of the simplest, but hardest, remedies is silence. St. Arsenius, a great Father of the desert, famously said:
“I have often regretted speaking, but never regretted silence.”
Silence is the refusal to feed vainglory with words. The Fathers believed silence purified the heart, allowed space for prayer, and prevented the ego from constantly seeking affirmation.
In practice, this means resisting the need to announce every act of virtue, to argue endlessly online, or to draw attention to oneself. Silence allows God’s voice to speak louder than our own.
Giving Glory Back to God
Ultimately, the most important remedy is to redirect glory where it belongs: to God alone.
Psalm 113:9 (Vulgate) became the Fathers’ constant prayer:
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory.”
The saints lived this truth. St. Augustine wrote in Confessions:
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
True peace is found not in applause, but in resting in God’s glory. By consciously giving thanks after every success and deflecting praise back to God, we cut off vainglory at the root.
Practical Applications for Modern Catholics
The remedies of the Fathers may seem austere, but they are profoundly practical:
• Do hidden acts of charity: give without anyone knowing — even within your family.
• Fast quietly: let your sacrifices be known only to God.
• Offer unseen mortifications: take the lower place, embrace inconveniences silently, bear small humiliations patiently.
• Practice daily silence: set aside time without phone, music, or chatter — and resist the urge to broadcast everything.
• Re-orient your motives: before beginning any good work, ask, “Is this for God’s glory or mine?” If the answer is mixed, purify the intention in prayer.

Inspiration From the Saints
The Desert Fathers’ remedies echo throughout Church history:
• St. Philip Neri — When people praised him as a living saint, he would do something ridiculous in public, like wearing silly clothes, to deflate admiration.
• St. Thérèse of Lisieux — Hid her sacrifices in the “little way,” unseen, known only to God.
• St. Alphonsus Liguori — Warned priests never to preach for applause but only for the salvation of souls.
These saints show that secrecy, humility, and redirection of glory are timeless remedies against vainglory.
Closing Thought
The Desert Fathers knew that vainglory would haunt every step of the spiritual journey. But they also knew the way of escape: humility, hiddenness, silence, and giving glory back to God.
Their remedies remain prophetic today. In a culture that shouts, “Show yourself! Prove yourself! Brand yourself!” the Fathers whisper: “Hide yourself in Christ.”
For in the end, only one judgment matters. Not the applause of men, but the voice of Christ saying:
“Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23)
Segment 4: Application for Today
The wisdom of the Desert Fathers is not meant to remain locked in dusty monastic sayings. Their struggle against vainglory speaks directly into our own times. In fact, the battle is fiercer now than in the desert, because our culture has made self-promotion and human praise into a way of life. So how do we, as traditional Catholics, take their remedies and apply them in a world that thrives on visibility, performance, and approval?
Examine Your Motives Daily
The first step is awareness. The Fathers teach that vainglory hides in even the holiest actions. Before beginning prayer, devotions, or works of mercy, ask yourself:
• Am I doing this for God’s glory, or for my own recognition?
• Would I still do this if no one noticed?
St. Ignatius of Antioch, long before the desert tradition, said: “It is better to be silent and be, than to speak and not to be.” The question is not whether people admire us, but whether God sees fidelity in our hearts.
Guard Silence and Hiddenness
The Desert Fathers loved hiddenness because it stripped vainglory of its food. We too must rediscover the sacredness of doing good in secret.
• When you give alms, let it be unknown.
• When you fast, do not draw attention.
• When you pray, pray with the door closed, as Christ commanded.
In a digital age, this means resisting the urge to announce every devotion or every sacrifice. It is not wrong to encourage others in the faith, but it becomes dangerous when the spotlight shifts from God to us.
St. Philip Neri taught: “Love to be unknown.” That is a motto we desperately need today.
Redeeming Social Media
The Fathers did not have Facebook or Instagram, but their counsel applies here. The temptation of vainglory multiplies with every post and every “like.”
Practical steps:
• Use social media to glorify God, not self. Post spiritual content only if it directs attention upward, not inward.
• Avoid posting about personal sacrifices or religious practices simply to be admired.
• Limit your time online so that prayer, family, and silence have first place.
If vainglory tempts most strongly in visibility, then the remedy is intentional restraint.
Practice Hidden Mortifications
The Fathers often performed small penances that no one saw: extra fasting, longer vigils, or hidden acts of charity. These starve vainglory because they deny it an audience.
For us:
• Choose the smaller portion at meals.
• Offer up daily inconveniences without complaint.
• Embrace a hidden act of service in the home, office, or parish without telling anyone.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s “little way” echoes this Desert wisdom. Small, hidden sacrifices become powerful when united to Christ.
Embrace Obscurity as a Path to Holiness
Our world despises obscurity, but the Fathers cherished it. They fled into the desert not to be admired, but to disappear into God.
St. John Cassian wrote:
“True glory is to be unknown of men, but known of God.” (Institutes XI.6)
What matters is not whether others notice, but whether Christ says at the end of our lives: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Practical examples today:
• Don’t be afraid if your parish service goes unrecognized. Offer it to God.
• Don’t chase titles, applause, or positions of prestige. Seek fidelity instead.
• Live your vocation — whether parent, priest, religious, or single — faithfully, quietly, and joyfully.
Sacramental and Marian Remedies
The Fathers remind us that remedies are not only psychological, but sacramental.
• Confession purifies motives. Every time we confess pride or vanity, we humble ourselves before God.
• The Eucharist strengthens us to live hidden lives, for Christ comes to us under the humble form of bread.
• The Rosary unites us with Mary, who lived a hidden life of perfect humility. Our Lady’s Magnificat shows the pattern: “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” She glorified God, not herself.
Devotion to Mary is one of the best remedies against vainglory, because she is the model of total self-effacement before God.
Reclaiming True Glory
The Fathers never said glory itself was evil. The problem is misdirected glory. True glory is giving God His due and sharing in His life. The Catechism echoes this: “Man’s vocation is to make God manifest by acting in conformity with his creation ‘in the image and likeness of God.’”
When our lives give glory to God, we are freed from the emptiness of vainglory. Earthly applause fades quickly; heavenly glory endures forever.
Closing Thought
The Desert Fathers would look at our times and see a world addicted to vainglory. Yet they would also give us hope: victory is possible through humility, secrecy, silence, and fidelity.
The question for us is simple: Whose approval do we seek? The fleeting praise of men, or the eternal reward of God?
Let us end with the words of Psalm 113:
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory.”
That is the final cure for vainglory — to live and die for God’s glory alone.
Epistle – 1 Corinthians 4:9–14
"For I think that God hath set forth us apostles, the last, as it were men appointed to death: we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ: we are weak, but you are strong: you are honourable, but we without honour... We are reviled, and we bless: we are persecuted, and we suffer it. We are blasphemed, and we entreat: we are made as the refuse of this world, the offscouring of all, even until now."
Reflection on the Epistle
Here St. Paul strips away any illusions about Christian discipleship. To follow Christ is to embrace humiliation, to be mocked as “fools,” to be despised as “refuse.” The apostles, chosen by God, were treated as outcasts, yet it was precisely through their suffering that the Gospel advanced.
This Epistle challenges us in an age when many Catholics, even within the Church, desire comfort, acceptance, and worldly approval. But true fidelity to Christ will always invite rejection from the world. If the apostles, the very foundation stones of the Church, were reviled and treated as outcasts, should we expect anything less when we defend Tradition, proclaim moral truth, and reject modern compromises?
St. Nicholas of Tolentino lived this out. His hidden life of fasting, vigils, and prayer seemed foolish to the worldly. Yet, by embracing humility and penance, he became a vessel of God’s grace, known for miracles, visions of purgatory, and saving souls by his intercession. He reminds us that sanctity is not found in the applause of men, but in faithfulness to God’s call.
Gospel – Luke 12:32–34
"Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom. Sell what you possess, and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Reflection on the Gospel
Our Lord speaks tenderly to His disciples: “Fear not, little flock.” He knows their weakness, their smallness, their fears. Yet He assures them that their Father has already given them the kingdom. The Christian’s security lies not in earthly possessions but in the eternal inheritance of heaven.
This Gospel is a direct challenge to our modern obsession with wealth, security, and comfort. We cling to material treasures, but Christ tells us they will fade, be stolen, or be destroyed. Only treasures laid up in heaven endure—acts of charity, sacrifices made for God, lives poured out in love.
St. Nicholas of Tolentino lived this Gospel literally. He embraced poverty, gave alms generously, and offered countless sacrifices for souls, especially for those in purgatory. His life was a constant laying up of treasure in heaven. His heart was fixed where his treasure was: with Christ.
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Feast of St. Nicholas of Tolentino
St. Nicholas (1245–1305) was an Augustinian friar in Italy, known for his austerity, devotion to prayer, and deep compassion for the poor. He fasted rigorously, celebrated Mass with tears, and offered countless prayers for the souls in purgatory so much so that he became known as the patron saint of the Holy Souls.
Though hidden from worldly fame, his sanctity was recognized after death through miracles and apparitions. He reminds us that holiness is not in being known by men, but in being faithful to God, serving Him in humility and love.
Application for Today
• Do not seek worldly approval: Expect rejection if you live faithfully, but rejoice in sharing in the apostles’ lot.
• Fix your heart on heaven: Live for eternal treasure, not for passing wealth or comfort.
• Embrace penance and prayer: Like St. Nicholas, practice fasting, almsgiving, and intercession for souls, especially for the forgotten souls in purgatory.
• Encourage the “little flock”: Strengthen one another in faith, remembering Christ’s words: “Fear not, it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.”
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Conclusionary Prayer
O Lord, who didst promise a kingdom to Thy little flock, grant us the grace to despise the fleeting treasures of this world and to seek the eternal riches of heaven. Through the intercession of St. Paul the Apostle, St. Nicholas of Tolentino, and all the saints, may we endure reproach with patience and store up treasure where moth and rust cannot corrupt.
St. Nicholas of Tolentino, pray for us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, intercede for us.