“Do not trumpet your achievements, and be not hopeless when you sin.” (St. Ephraim the Syrian) In these few words, he points out two dangers that ensnare the Christian soul, 1) pride in outward show and 2) despair in inward weakness. Both are contrary to the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, who bids His disciples to walk in humility and hope.
Our Lord Himself warned against the vain display of piety when He said, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (St. Matthew 6:5-6). Here, Christ does not rebuke the act of prayer itself, but the spirit in which it is offered—whether it seeks the eyes of men or the gaze of God alone.
St. Paul, in like manner, exhorted the Corinthians not to boast of their works or gifts. He wrote, “For who has examined you? Or what do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). The Apostle insists that every grace comes from God, and thus every boast is empty save in the Lord who bestows. He further confesses of himself, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me has not been in vain; rather, I have laboured with greater effort than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that has been with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Thus humility and thanksgiving guard the heart from self-inflation.
Taken together, the teaching of Christ, the counsel of St. Paul, and the admonition of St. Ephraim reveal the same path. To trumpet one’s achievements is to steal from God the glory that is His due. To despair in one’s sins is to deny His mercy, which exceeds all failings. True prayer is hidden, true faith is quiet, and true humility does not measure itself against others. As Christians we stand in secret before God, offering what we are—sinners upheld by grace, awaiting mercy with hope, and refusing to draw attention to our own righteousness.
As disciples of Christ Jesus, we must keep both sides of this counsel—to veil our prayer and works from the eyes of men, and to resist the voice of hopelessness when sin overtakes us. For the one who neither boasts in his strength nor despairs in his weakness is the one who stands firmly upon the mercy of Christ.
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
25 September 2025
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