“In our culture, love has often been reduced – even abused in its over-definition. Almost totally lacking, however, is a practice of honor. I recall a retired colonel (WWII) in my first Anglican parish. He had a deep sense of honor and held matters of the Church in a regard that seemed rare. I enjoyed being with him. I trusted him. On reflection, I can see that he learned honor in the same manner as the Centurion whose servant Jesus healed. The military of his day carried a deep culture of honor. I believe that we cannot rightly perceive the world around us until we gain a heart-knowledge that grasps the practice of veneration. It is also a practice than can only be voluntary. It has the capacity to reveal hidden wonders. Its absence has the capacity for great swathes of misery. The world around us is sacrament and symbol. It means that anything and everything can serve to reveal God to us, and to reveal ourselves to us, as well. It is, however, a world that only gives itself to us in love. We cannot see what we do not love and honor.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“It’s an open secret that even the smallest amount of praise concerning any real or, more commonly, imagined gifts we may have is almost always the occasion for conceit and vanity. Imagine if we heard someone say to us: ‘You are the light of the world’. There would be no greater temptation for vanity, or the risk of brain damage….Saint John Chrysostom reads the words of Christ to His disciples and asks him: ‘What is this? You’re telling us to live a life at the forefront of attention, so that we’ll be honored?’. He then has Christ reply: ‘Not at all. I don’t mean anything of the sort. I didn’t say: “Make an exhibition of your achievements”; I said: “Let your light shine”, which means strive to increase your virtue greatly. Light the flame of your heart fiercely and so be sure that your example is bright. Because when virtue is so lambent in a person, it can’t be hidden, even if they try to mask it in a myriad ways.’” (Archimandrite Varnavas Lambropoulos)
“The apostle [James] sets out to criticize the partiality that judges others by the pretense of wealth. To start, he addresses his readers as “my brethren” (James 2:1). This address emphasizes that all alike are one in the one faith in Jesus Christ. There is no higher or lower in the brotherhood and sisterhood of Christ. With this in mind, the apostle warns against favoritism within the family of faith. The contrast between the fawning treatment toward the rich man and the disparaging attitude toward the poor man is a metaphor for the social discrimination inherent in human affairs. Society gives honor and deference to the rich, powerful, and famous who already have more than enough of esteem. Yet it neglects and dishonors the poor and powerless who have need for attention and respect.” (Fr. Basil)
“The more people love themselves, the more they become dependent on the opinions of those around them. But Christ teaches us to repudiate lies, egotism and all those outward forms of good, self-justifying behavior. And though omissions and weakness can be forgiven, hypocrisy can’t be. So, if you decide to live honorably and candidly, then you must examine your inconsistencies and face them sincerely and without excuses. The cure for hypocrisy arises from self-knowledge, which leads to repentance, which is the equivalent of an existential change.” (Archimandrite Theofilos Lemontzis, D. Th.)
“When people honor you, humble yourself all the more at that moment, and say in your mind: 'If they truly knew who I were, they would show me no regard at all.’ In this way, you will not cause injury to your soul.” (V. Rev. Chrysostomos)
“Peter apparently wanted to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles or Booths that looked forward to the end and wanted to treat Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as equals by making three shelters (one for each [Matthew 17:4 during the Transfiguration of Jesus]). It was actually a way of expressing honor to Jesus, but the next verse [While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!] makes it clear that it was not enough honor.” (NET Bible, Matthew 17:4]
“The church is not organized simply for the sake of organization but so that Christ can be honored and glorified...don’t lose sight of what is most important in the life of the church—knowing God, working together in loving harmony, and taking God’s Good News to the world…Helping those in need is one of the most important ways to honor God.” (Life Application Study Bible, Mark 10:7-11, 1 Timothy 6:21)
“…solid self-esteem based on God's love for us in our ordinariness offers us a real chance to live nobly and honorably and to help others along the way. Living any other way, with a view of self that is any less than God's view of us, God who wrote our names on the palms of His hands (Is 49:16), is unnecessarily tragic and sad.” (Robert J. Wicks)
“God is good and is not controlled by passions. He does not change. Now someone who thinks it reasonable and true to affirm that God does not change, may well ask how, in that case, it is possible to speak of God as rejoicing over those who are good and showing mercy to those who honor Him, and as turning away from the wicked and being angry with sinners. To this it must be answered that God neither rejoices nor grows angry, for to rejoice and to be offended are passions; nor is He won over by the gifts of those who honor Him, for that would mean He is swayed by pleasure. It is not right that the Divinity feel pleasure or displeasure from human conditions. He is good, and He only bestows blessings and never does harm, remaining always the same.” (St. Anthony)
“Furthermore, the Lord teaches us to shun worldly glory and seek honor from God alone. “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me” (John 8:54). Only recognition from God is truly worth attaining – honor from men sets us up to become the prey of vainglory…If we ardently seek our well-being from on high, we receive the genuine glory of God…honoring God is not something God needs; rather, it is something we need in order to grow into God’s likeness and become fully human in our love of Him and love of others.” (Dynamis 5/20/2014, 5/19/2020; Sacramental Living Ministries)