THIS is a most indispensable virtue
to have. If only to
maintain our sanity, if not to survive in a world that’s full of
surprises, challenges, trials, setbacks, problems, difficulties,
disappointments, and an endless etcetera, patience is what we should
have.
Besides, patience allows us to see things more objectively
and calmly, disposing us to react and behave in a more appropriate way
whatever the situation may be. Our judgments would be better arrived
at.
With it, we become more able to handle all kinds of
predicament, whether they be hot issues, difficult persons or personal
failures. We cannot deny that situations are aplenty where we find
ourselves unable to cope with our problems, where we can only see face
to face the naked reality of our limitations.
With it too, we would know how to move on in spite of
impediments and hindrances. We would not get stuck at a certain point,
and would just allow the workings of providence to take effect. Along
the way, we get to know more and new things, expanding our knowledge
and savouring the finer points of things we already know.
Our mind would be broadened, our heart made more
universal. We would be released from the confines of our temperament
and character, and put ourselves on track toward a fuller
actualization of our potentials. Yes, it facilitates our blossoming to
maturity.
There are many other practical advantages of patience. But
what is of utmost importance is that it is what would also resemble us
with Christ who is patience personified.
We have to be clear about this. If we want to have
patience, it is to Christ whom we should approach and learn from. It’s
he who will make us understand the reason and meaning of it, he who
will give us the very strengthen for it, which otherwise would be
impossible for us.
With Christ, all our efforts to be patient can have not
only temporal, human effects, but also eternal and supernatural ones.
We should not just be relying on our own powers and
resources, no matter how vast and deep they may be. We should not just
be relying on our knowledge of the doctrine of our faith, which if not
infused with charity, mercy and compassion, can lead us to be
judgmental and self-righteous, raising invisible walls and barriers
among us.
So, as early as possible, while it’s true that we have to
do whatever we can to handle our concerns, we should never forget that
it is to Christ that we have to go and depend on. Only with him can we
hope to live patience that is a function all at once of truth and
charity, justice and mercy.
Thus, we have to beg for it in our prayers constantly. We
cannot take this intention for granted. Ignoring it can only mean that
we are depending merely on our own human strength to be patient, and
that is an immense anomaly. We have to beg for patience, because it is
first of all a grace from God. It’s not something we ourselves make.
And so, a big dose of humility is also needed here, for us
to feel this objective need. Let’s remember that pride can enter us in
a most subtle way, and can even disguise itself as humility. And
that’s when we can be almost incurably blind and insensitive to this
need for humility.
But since grace does not do away with our human nature,
but rather works on it, enriching, purifying and elevating it to the
supernatural order, we have to understand that to develop patience, we
also have to do our part.
In this regard, we can always take advantage of our daily
events, already full of contradictions, to broaden and deepen our
capacity to suffer out of love, which is what patience is all about.
We should practice restraint and moderation in our
thoughts and reactions. Since our spontaneous reactions cannot be
controlled, let’s see to it that we can manage to correct ourselves or
at least put ourselves in some cautious mode as soon as we can.
We should always be careful with our emotions, moods and
passions. The same with the social trends and fashions that can
trigger a mob response to situations, instead of a more human and
charitable one.
Our words should be well thought out before they are
uttered. More importantly, we should always arm ourselves with good
intentions, the skill to discern whatever good there may be in any
situation even it is dominated by so much evil. This will make
patience easy and even enjoyable.
maintain our sanity, if not to survive in a world that’s full of
surprises, challenges, trials, setbacks, problems, difficulties,
disappointments, and an endless etcetera, patience is what we should
have.
Besides, patience allows us to see things more objectively
and calmly, disposing us to react and behave in a more appropriate way
whatever the situation may be. Our judgments would be better arrived
at.
With it, we become more able to handle all kinds of
predicament, whether they be hot issues, difficult persons or personal
failures. We cannot deny that situations are aplenty where we find
ourselves unable to cope with our problems, where we can only see face
to face the naked reality of our limitations.
With it too, we would know how to move on in spite of
impediments and hindrances. We would not get stuck at a certain point,
and would just allow the workings of providence to take effect. Along
the way, we get to know more and new things, expanding our knowledge
and savouring the finer points of things we already know.
Our mind would be broadened, our heart made more
universal. We would be released from the confines of our temperament
and character, and put ourselves on track toward a fuller
actualization of our potentials. Yes, it facilitates our blossoming to
maturity.
There are many other practical advantages of patience. But
what is of utmost importance is that it is what would also resemble us
with Christ who is patience personified.
We have to be clear about this. If we want to have
patience, it is to Christ whom we should approach and learn from. It’s
he who will make us understand the reason and meaning of it, he who
will give us the very strengthen for it, which otherwise would be
impossible for us.
With Christ, all our efforts to be patient can have not
only temporal, human effects, but also eternal and supernatural ones.
We should not just be relying on our own powers and
resources, no matter how vast and deep they may be. We should not just
be relying on our knowledge of the doctrine of our faith, which if not
infused with charity, mercy and compassion, can lead us to be
judgmental and self-righteous, raising invisible walls and barriers
among us.
So, as early as possible, while it’s true that we have to
do whatever we can to handle our concerns, we should never forget that
it is to Christ that we have to go and depend on. Only with him can we
hope to live patience that is a function all at once of truth and
charity, justice and mercy.
Thus, we have to beg for it in our prayers constantly. We
cannot take this intention for granted. Ignoring it can only mean that
we are depending merely on our own human strength to be patient, and
that is an immense anomaly. We have to beg for patience, because it is
first of all a grace from God. It’s not something we ourselves make.
And so, a big dose of humility is also needed here, for us
to feel this objective need. Let’s remember that pride can enter us in
a most subtle way, and can even disguise itself as humility. And
that’s when we can be almost incurably blind and insensitive to this
need for humility.
But since grace does not do away with our human nature,
but rather works on it, enriching, purifying and elevating it to the
supernatural order, we have to understand that to develop patience, we
also have to do our part.
In this regard, we can always take advantage of our daily
events, already full of contradictions, to broaden and deepen our
capacity to suffer out of love, which is what patience is all about.
We should practice restraint and moderation in our
thoughts and reactions. Since our spontaneous reactions cannot be
controlled, let’s see to it that we can manage to correct ourselves or
at least put ourselves in some cautious mode as soon as we can.
We should always be careful with our emotions, moods and
passions. The same with the social trends and fashions that can
trigger a mob response to situations, instead of a more human and
charitable one.
Our words should be well thought out before they are
uttered. More importantly, we should always arm ourselves with good
intentions, the skill to discern whatever good there may be in any
situation even it is dominated by so much evil. This will make
patience easy and even enjoyable.
No comments:
Post a Comment