The tenth step of pride: revolt.59
Ladders
lowered, and their sin is unforgiven. Now everybody knows what thev are. Not onlv does evervone condemn them, but all are more vexed because of the good opinion they held so long because they were fooled by the fraud.
The tenth step of pride: revolt The divine mercy may yet rescue such and inspire them to submit to the judgment of the community, but such a character finds this a very hard thing to do. Instead they may take an attitude of brazen insolence and in exaspera tion take the fatal plunge as far as the tenth step of pride.
They have already shown contempt for their brothers and sisters by insolence, and now their contempt for the author ity of the Church flashes out in open revolt.
The eleventh step of pride: freedom to sin Those in revolt have reached the tenth step of pride and will leave. Without delay they go down to the eleventh step.
They then set their feet on ways that seem to them right but which will lead them, if God does not block their way, to the depths of hell, to contempt of God. "When the wicked reach the depths of evil, they are full of contempt."
We may style this eleventh step freedom in sinning. With fewer qualms they happily give themselves up to their sinful desires. They still keep some scant fear of God. Their consciences still give some murmurs, however faint. They make a few half-hearted resolutions, still hesitate a little in their first steps in evil. They do not plunge headlong into the torrent of vice but feel their way step by step like one trying a ford.