On the Ego & Love of Praise

One of the principal spiritual wars is the ego or the self, being the most important element that hinders the spiritual life and breaks it down. The ego was the reason behind the fall of a great angel of the rank of the cherubim, so he became the Devil and a leader of demons. The love of self is a mother sin that gives birth to a multitude of sins. In the first part of this book, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the ego and the reasons behind the heightened sense of self and how to eliminate it. In the second part, he treats the subject of the love of praise and honor, one of the most pernicious daughters of the ego, addressing its various degrees, its consequences, and how one might flee from it. This book also provides spiritual means and exercises for the purpose of eliminating the ego, the fiercest foe that stunts one's spiritual growth. By these means and exercises, the spiritual person can progress to self-denial, to self-condemnation, and to the phrase "No longer I, but Christ..."