I THINK that we can safely presume
that we try our best to
live patience. That’s because whether we like it or not, we certainly
cannot avoid all sorts of difficulties, challenges, trials, pains and
sorrows that require us or even force us to be patient.
Our daily life is full of occasions that demand patience
from us. We need to be patient with our individual selves, what with
all our endless needs and aspirations. Let’s never forget that we are
very complex beings with infinite possibilities that need to be reined
in and given proper direction, and we have to contend with endless
factors.
Then we have to be patient with others, starting with
those with whom we live and work, not to mention the many other bigger
aspects and higher levels of our life whose events and developments
can exact a very heavy toll on our patience. Think of the many
screaming social and political issues that compel us to be patient.
In short, we have to be patient with life and with the
world in general, a really tall order!
We just have to make a better understanding of this
particular virtue that actually plays an important role in our life.
It should not just be something negative, to be tolerated. It should
not be something we resort to because nothing else can be done, a kind
of default when everything else fails.
Patience is a very positive virtue that in essence
identifies us very intimately with Christ who was and is patience
personified. His patience allowed him to express his supreme love for
us by offering his life on the cross. This is the source, standard and
goal of patience.
Many are the references in the gospel that highlight the
value of patience. Charity, we are told, is patient. (1 Cor 13,4) “By
your patience you will win your souls.” (Lk 21,19) “Esteem it all joy,
my brethren, when you fall into various trials, knowing that the
trying of your faith begets patience. And let patience have its
perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.”
(James 1,2-4)
And so we need to do some tweaking of our mind and heart
with respect to patience. There definitely are elements in our
understanding, attitude and current condition that need to be changed
or purified or conformed more tightly to the requirements of patience.
Let’s remember that patience as a virtue is “a habitual
and stable perfection of the intellect and will that govern our
actions, order our passions and guide our conduct according to reason
and faith.” Its specific purpose is to assure us firmness in
difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good.
We need to be clear about the organic link between our
intellect and will on the one hand, and our actions, passions and
over-all conduct on the other hand. That link should be strengthened
and reinforced deliberately and not allowed to just be by itself.
Some anomalies may hold captive our intellect and will
that would compromise patience. We may be dominated by laziness,
complacency, lukewarmness that generate their own brand of impatience.
Or we may fall into some kind of bitter zeal, imprudence, pride,
vanity, greed, etc., that also have their own version of impatience.
These forms of impatience should be quelled as soon as
they appear and are rightly identified to be so, since there is also a
good kind of impatience.
St. Cyprian of Carthage has a rather extensive description
of this virtue that I think is worthwhile remitting here. “It is
patience,” he said, “that both commends us to God and saves us for
God. It is that same patience which tempers anger, bridles the tongue,
governs the mind, guards peace.
“It is patience that rules discipline, breaks the
onslaught of lust, suppresses the violence of pride, extinguishes the
fire of dissension, restrains the power of the wealthy, renews the
endurance of the poor in bearing their lot, guards the blessed
integrity of virgins, the difficult chastity of widows, and the
indivisible love of husbands and wives.
“It makes man humble in prosperity, brave in adversity,
meek in the face of injuries and insults. It teaches us to pardon our
offenders quickly. If you yourself should offend, it teaches you to
ask pardon often and with perseverance.
“It vanquishes temptations, sustains persecutions, endures
sufferings and martyrdom to the end. It is this patience which
strongly fortifies the foundations of our faith. It is the patience
which sublimely promotes the growth of hope.”
How truly wonderful patience is!
live patience. That’s because whether we like it or not, we certainly
cannot avoid all sorts of difficulties, challenges, trials, pains and
sorrows that require us or even force us to be patient.
Our daily life is full of occasions that demand patience
from us. We need to be patient with our individual selves, what with
all our endless needs and aspirations. Let’s never forget that we are
very complex beings with infinite possibilities that need to be reined
in and given proper direction, and we have to contend with endless
factors.
Then we have to be patient with others, starting with
those with whom we live and work, not to mention the many other bigger
aspects and higher levels of our life whose events and developments
can exact a very heavy toll on our patience. Think of the many
screaming social and political issues that compel us to be patient.
In short, we have to be patient with life and with the
world in general, a really tall order!
We just have to make a better understanding of this
particular virtue that actually plays an important role in our life.
It should not just be something negative, to be tolerated. It should
not be something we resort to because nothing else can be done, a kind
of default when everything else fails.
Patience is a very positive virtue that in essence
identifies us very intimately with Christ who was and is patience
personified. His patience allowed him to express his supreme love for
us by offering his life on the cross. This is the source, standard and
goal of patience.
Many are the references in the gospel that highlight the
value of patience. Charity, we are told, is patient. (1 Cor 13,4) “By
your patience you will win your souls.” (Lk 21,19) “Esteem it all joy,
my brethren, when you fall into various trials, knowing that the
trying of your faith begets patience. And let patience have its
perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.”
(James 1,2-4)
And so we need to do some tweaking of our mind and heart
with respect to patience. There definitely are elements in our
understanding, attitude and current condition that need to be changed
or purified or conformed more tightly to the requirements of patience.
Let’s remember that patience as a virtue is “a habitual
and stable perfection of the intellect and will that govern our
actions, order our passions and guide our conduct according to reason
and faith.” Its specific purpose is to assure us firmness in
difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good.
We need to be clear about the organic link between our
intellect and will on the one hand, and our actions, passions and
over-all conduct on the other hand. That link should be strengthened
and reinforced deliberately and not allowed to just be by itself.
Some anomalies may hold captive our intellect and will
that would compromise patience. We may be dominated by laziness,
complacency, lukewarmness that generate their own brand of impatience.
Or we may fall into some kind of bitter zeal, imprudence, pride,
vanity, greed, etc., that also have their own version of impatience.
These forms of impatience should be quelled as soon as
they appear and are rightly identified to be so, since there is also a
good kind of impatience.
St. Cyprian of Carthage has a rather extensive description
of this virtue that I think is worthwhile remitting here. “It is
patience,” he said, “that both commends us to God and saves us for
God. It is that same patience which tempers anger, bridles the tongue,
governs the mind, guards peace.
“It is patience that rules discipline, breaks the
onslaught of lust, suppresses the violence of pride, extinguishes the
fire of dissension, restrains the power of the wealthy, renews the
endurance of the poor in bearing their lot, guards the blessed
integrity of virgins, the difficult chastity of widows, and the
indivisible love of husbands and wives.
“It makes man humble in prosperity, brave in adversity,
meek in the face of injuries and insults. It teaches us to pardon our
offenders quickly. If you yourself should offend, it teaches you to
ask pardon often and with perseverance.
“It vanquishes temptations, sustains persecutions, endures
sufferings and martyrdom to the end. It is this patience which
strongly fortifies the foundations of our faith. It is the patience
which sublimely promotes the growth of hope.”
How truly wonderful patience is!
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