Hear then how Paul, who saw through these things thoroughly, is so far from seeking after them, that he even deprecates them, in the words, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Christ.” This glory then be thou also emulous of, that you may not provoke the Master, because in so doing you are insulting God, and not yourself alone. For if you even were a painter, and had some pupil, and he were to omit showing you his practice of the art, but set forth his painting publicly just to any body that chanted to observe it, you would not take it quietly.
But if this even with your fellow-servants were an insult, how much more with the Master! But if you have a mind to learn on other grounds to feel scorn for the thing, be of a lofty mind, laugh at appearances, increase your love of real glory, be filled with a spiritual temper, say to your soul as Paul did, “Do you not know that we shall judge angels?” and having by this roused it up, go on to rebuke it, and say, You who judges the angels, will you let yourself be judged of off-scourings, and be praised with dancers, and mimics, and gladiators, and horse-drivers?
For these men do follow after applause of this sort. But do thou poise your wing high above the din of these, and emulate that citizen of the wilderness, John, and learn how he was above regarding the multitude, and did not turn him to look at flatterers, but when he saw all the dwellers in Palestine poured forth about him, and wondering, and astonished at him, he was not puffed up with such honor as this, but rose up against them, and discoursing to his great concourse as if to one youth, he thus rebuked them and said, “You serpents, you generation of vipers!” Yet it was for him that they had run together, and left the cities, in order to see that holy personage, and still none of these things unnerved him.
For he was far above glory, and free from all vanity. So also Stephen, when he saw the same people again, not honoring him, but mad upon him, and gnashing their teeth, being lifted above their wrath, said, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart.” Thus also Elias, when those armies were present, and the king, and all the people, said, “How long halt ye upon both your hips?” But we flatter all, court all, with this servile obsequiousness buying their honor. Wherefore all things are turned upside down, and for this favor the business of Christianity is betrayed, and everything neglected for the opinion of the generality.
Let us then banish this passion, and then we shall have a right notion of liberty, and of the haven, and the calm. For the vain man is ever like persons in a storm, trembling, and fearing, and serving a thousand masters. But he that is clear of this thraldom, is like men in havens, enjoying a liberty untainted. Not so that person, but as many acquaintances as he has, so many masters has he, and he is forced to be a slave to all of them. How then are we to get free from this hard bondage?
It is by growing enamoured of another glory, which is really glory. For as with those that are enamoured of persons, the sight of some handsomer one does by its being seen take them off from the first: so with those that court the glory which comes from us men, the glory from heaven, if it gleams on them, has power to lead them off from this. Let us then look to this, and become thoroughly acquainted with it, that by feeling admiration of its beauty, we may shun the hideousness of the other, and have the benefit of much pleasure by enjoying this continually. Which may we all attain to by the grace and love toward man, etc.
Source: Homilies on Romans (New Advent)