The nature of ego. The most slippery thing to catch hold of, almost like a wet snake and the most common thing in the world. The paradox about the ego is that, it exists yet it doesn't. It exists because of our identity to ourselves. People maybe spiritualistic ,materialistic ,religious or a christian, hindu, muslim and we prop ourselves for belonging to something.What it does that it gives more identity to ourselves .The identity maybe of that of the world or the 'other-world' but both are the same. Our so-called 'saints' are nothing other than a person with the ego of the 'other-world'. It is most common that our saints might have a repressed ego in themselves.
The real man without ego is neither egoistic nor humble. He/She is just simply themselves. Their identification with the body is lost such that they are neither a male or a female. This is what jesus meant when he said "to see the kindom of god, your two eyes must become one"(not the exact quote). He is simply saying that our inner polarities,divisions and finally our inner male and female should dissappear into each other that you are neither male or female and becomes simply a witnessing consciousness.
Now think about it, what is it the humbleness that our priest goes on teaching us. He is telling us to repress our thoughts about our false identity (with ourselves) with our body, religion, spirituality, money, name, educational qualifications.. So, that you will be treated in the other world with somany wonderful things. Do not fall into that trap. But be compassionate toward him, he has been unconsciously brainwashed by their teachers that have been brainwasshing themselves and others for years.
The ego exists not. The ego is simply a bundle of thought about our false identity. And thoughts are simply another version of the dreams that we see during sleep. It is when you wake up that you realize all these things were just a dream. So the middle way in going beyond the ego is to know that neither repressing nor expressing won't help in overcoming it. It is to know our true nature beyond our bodies(physical, astral, all other 'bodies').