Incurvatus in se

How many of you all have heard of, uh, St. Augustine of Hippo? He was one of the early church fathers, early church philosophers, early church theologians, a bishop of the church.

He described self-centeredness in this Latin phrase called incurvatus in se.

Incurvatus in se, which means the human self, the human person turned or curved into himself or herself.

The human person being so wound up in his or her own existence that this person rules out a relationship with God, rules out loving others, serving others around him.

It's where we, our loves, our desires, our souls and bodies, our whole beings, we're so turned into ourselves that we don't know or we fail to recognize who God is and to lay down our lives for each other.

It's a kind of existence, as incurvatus in se, this is a kind of existence that is more focused on our glory instead of Jesus's glory.

Incurvatus in se.

Now, the Apostle Paul, the one who wrote Philippians, he knew a lot about having his existence turned or curved into himself.