As one strives to
"be good", the hardest virtues to acquire are humility and constancy
or perseverance. Being judgemental is a ridiculously effortless raising of an eyebrow
or a barely discernible sniff.
I find myself having to contend with the constant flow of inner talk that nitpicks and condemns the range of behaviour that falls short of my Christian gold standard, of what I deem acceptable.
What a Scrooge, why is he not giving more to the poor when he is rolling in it? Such selfish behaviour! How can anyone be so cluelessly inconsiderate and rude? Calls that Christian behaviour? It goes on, ad nauseam, if I let it.
What gives me the right to a holier than thou attitude when the good I am doing is just me doing what I ought to, as a decent human being who knows better. There's nothing special or extraordinary, nothing that deserves accolades. It is just so easy to act superior and forget the plank in my own eye.
In a recent homily, Pope Francis warned that Christians who lose the faith and prefer ideology become rigid, moralists, ethicists, but without goodness.
The reason for this is, he said simply one thing: that Christian does not pray. And if there is no prayer, you will always close the door.
It is easy to close the door to faith and fall into the ideology of religion. To think one has all the answers to life and to discard everything else as unworthy of consideration. Ideological Christians, Pope Francis elaborates, are people who have become proud, sure of themselves and lacking humility.
Pope Francis goes on to reminds us: In ideology there is no Jesus: his tenderness, love, meekness. And ideologies are always rigid.
It is ideologists who alienate people and create dissension, disunity; at times to the point of choosing violence as their voice against perceived wrong.
At our last Woman to Woman Ministry meeting of the year, we reflected on what would be an appropriate Advent offering. I decided to place my pride at the foot of the empty manger for it is at the root of my judgemental ways. My desire is to grow in humility and make that my gift to the Christ child come December 25.
The secret is, as the Pope pointed out, the distinction of prayer. Much can be accomplished if we keep praying and there is no better time for a renewed effort than Advent, the season of preparation before Christmas.
And for those of us who are too hung up on results or personal achievement, Blessed Mother Teresa said it best:
Be humble
and you will
never be disturbed.
It is very difficult
in practice
because we all want to see
the result of our work.
Leave it to Jesus.
I find myself having to contend with the constant flow of inner talk that nitpicks and condemns the range of behaviour that falls short of my Christian gold standard, of what I deem acceptable.
What a Scrooge, why is he not giving more to the poor when he is rolling in it? Such selfish behaviour! How can anyone be so cluelessly inconsiderate and rude? Calls that Christian behaviour? It goes on, ad nauseam, if I let it.
What gives me the right to a holier than thou attitude when the good I am doing is just me doing what I ought to, as a decent human being who knows better. There's nothing special or extraordinary, nothing that deserves accolades. It is just so easy to act superior and forget the plank in my own eye.
In a recent homily, Pope Francis warned that Christians who lose the faith and prefer ideology become rigid, moralists, ethicists, but without goodness.
The reason for this is, he said simply one thing: that Christian does not pray. And if there is no prayer, you will always close the door.
It is easy to close the door to faith and fall into the ideology of religion. To think one has all the answers to life and to discard everything else as unworthy of consideration. Ideological Christians, Pope Francis elaborates, are people who have become proud, sure of themselves and lacking humility.
Pope Francis goes on to reminds us: In ideology there is no Jesus: his tenderness, love, meekness. And ideologies are always rigid.
It is ideologists who alienate people and create dissension, disunity; at times to the point of choosing violence as their voice against perceived wrong.
At our last Woman to Woman Ministry meeting of the year, we reflected on what would be an appropriate Advent offering. I decided to place my pride at the foot of the empty manger for it is at the root of my judgemental ways. My desire is to grow in humility and make that my gift to the Christ child come December 25.
The secret is, as the Pope pointed out, the distinction of prayer. Much can be accomplished if we keep praying and there is no better time for a renewed effort than Advent, the season of preparation before Christmas.
And for those of us who are too hung up on results or personal achievement, Blessed Mother Teresa said it best:
Be humble and you will
never be disturbed.
It is very difficult
in practice
because we all want to see
the result of our work.
Leave it to Jesus.
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