The second Sunday reminds us of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). He was looking for

to see Christ. We do not know what prompted him, but it was hardly simple curiosity,

because it would not allow him to endure the ridicule of the people around him.

Imagine: a rich and well-known person living in a small town,

but small in stature, he suddenly, like a boy, climbs a tree. How many

There was ridicule around him! But it was so important for Zacchaeus to see Christ, even though

to look into His face, that He has neglected all this and has conquered vanity without

some kind of feat, struggle, but complete indifference to what they can say about him

people to think, it was so important for him, so necessary to contemplate

Savior. And he saw Him. Of all the crowd, Christ noticed only Zacchaeus,

for he, by his striving towards Him, has conquered in himself all fear of

people, every false shame, endured ridicule, mockery, — just to see

Christ. And Christ called him and stayed in his house.

Vanity, as St. John of the Ladder says, is impudence before

God and cowardice before people. Vanity is such an arrangement when

in which we do not take into account what God may think of our actions, words,

about our life, about our personality, and are addressed only to how they speak about us

people. A vain person lives in fear of human judgment, and this deprives

his fear of God. This condition is not only dangerous, but very terrible,

Because one more step — and vanity will be followed by pride.

Pride is a conscious attitude towards oneself as the last one