WE have to be most wary of this
phenomenon, a common sad
occurrence in the life of the so-called 'good people,' those who
frequent churches, do some prayers, active in popular piety, etc., but
who often end up being judgmental, quick to brand people and to find
fault, impatient with others, especially those with obvious defects
and mistakes, and very opinionated who can hardly tolerate other
opinions.
This phenomenon is iconized in the parable of the Pharisee
and the publican. (cfr Lk 18,10-14) The Pharisee was the
epitome of goodness and correctness. He fasted twice a week, gave
tithes of all what he possessed. But his righteousness converted his
prayer into a boast, and it simply showed he was separated from God.
The publican considered himself the receptacle of all
possible moral sewage. He could hardly lift up his eyes toward heaven.
His prayer dripped with compunction, but it reconciled him with God.
We have to understand that good and evil is a matter of
whether one is with God or not. Good is good because one is with God.
Evil is evil because he is not with God. It’s as simple as that.
Our problem is that instead of referring things—our
thoughts, words and actions—to God, we refer them only to our own idea
of what is good and evil. And usually it is based on some worldly
values like practicality, popularity, convenience, etc.
Not much wrong there really. After all, all things we do
have to be referred to our own idea of good and evil. Except that it’s
an idea that has been severed from its proper source and basis—God
himself.
In short, we make ourselves our own God, our ultimate
source of what is good and bad, what is right and wrong. That’s where
the problems come in, where the bugs and viruses enter to corrupt our
otherwise good idea. That's where we get trapped and poisoned by our
own idea of 'goodness.'
That is why, everyday and very often during the day we
need to check whether our idea of good and evil is still vitally
linked with God. We have to be wary with our tendency to just flow in
a certain routine and inertia of goodness that has already deadened
our living connection with God.
Most vulnerable to this anomaly are those gifted with some
high intelligence and other talents. They tend to regard themselves as
superior to others and thus to look down on them, to expect to be
served by them, etc.
We should never think that our talents, gifts, blessings
and other privileges and advantages we can have in life are a right to
lord it over others, or to be proud and vain, or to expect more
privileges. They are never meant to make us feel superior to others,
turning us into conceited persons.
If ever, these things should only make us more aware of
the greater responsibility we have to contribute to the common good.
That consideration, which we should try to be with us always, should
sober us and stop us from making fantastic, baseless ideas of
ourselves.
These gifts and blessings should make us more humble and
more responsible, as well as more discerning as to what God has in
mind for their proper use. That’s because when not referred to God,
these things can have no other effect than to spoil us.
And that’s when we, unwittingly perhaps, lead ourselves
down the road to a blinding self-righteousness. We have to be most
wary of this danger which is very common and can come to us in subtle
ways.
What is ideal is that our blessings and other divine and
natural gifts should be regarded and used with humility, gratitude and
the eagerness to serve the others. Otherwise they become very
poisonous.
The real saints and heroes never thought it beneath them
to suffer the inadequacies and the mistakes of others, following the
example of Christ who even went to the extent of washing the feet of
his apostles, and who clearly said that he came to serve and not to be
served.
Since any authority on earth is a participation of the
authority of God, those who have it, especially the sacred ministers,
should see to it that the exercise of their authority would make
others see Christ instead of their own selves.
We have to follow the example of St. John the Baptist who
said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3,30)
occurrence in the life of the so-called 'good people,' those who
frequent churches, do some prayers, active in popular piety, etc., but
who often end up being judgmental, quick to brand people and to find
fault, impatient with others, especially those with obvious defects
and mistakes, and very opinionated who can hardly tolerate other
opinions.
This phenomenon is iconized in the parable of the Pharisee
and the publican. (cfr Lk 18,10-14) The Pharisee was the
epitome of goodness and correctness. He fasted twice a week, gave
tithes of all what he possessed. But his righteousness converted his
prayer into a boast, and it simply showed he was separated from God.
The publican considered himself the receptacle of all
possible moral sewage. He could hardly lift up his eyes toward heaven.
His prayer dripped with compunction, but it reconciled him with God.
We have to understand that good and evil is a matter of
whether one is with God or not. Good is good because one is with God.
Evil is evil because he is not with God. It’s as simple as that.
Our problem is that instead of referring things—our
thoughts, words and actions—to God, we refer them only to our own idea
of what is good and evil. And usually it is based on some worldly
values like practicality, popularity, convenience, etc.
Not much wrong there really. After all, all things we do
have to be referred to our own idea of good and evil. Except that it’s
an idea that has been severed from its proper source and basis—God
himself.
In short, we make ourselves our own God, our ultimate
source of what is good and bad, what is right and wrong. That’s where
the problems come in, where the bugs and viruses enter to corrupt our
otherwise good idea. That's where we get trapped and poisoned by our
own idea of 'goodness.'
That is why, everyday and very often during the day we
need to check whether our idea of good and evil is still vitally
linked with God. We have to be wary with our tendency to just flow in
a certain routine and inertia of goodness that has already deadened
our living connection with God.
Most vulnerable to this anomaly are those gifted with some
high intelligence and other talents. They tend to regard themselves as
superior to others and thus to look down on them, to expect to be
served by them, etc.
We should never think that our talents, gifts, blessings
and other privileges and advantages we can have in life are a right to
lord it over others, or to be proud and vain, or to expect more
privileges. They are never meant to make us feel superior to others,
turning us into conceited persons.
If ever, these things should only make us more aware of
the greater responsibility we have to contribute to the common good.
That consideration, which we should try to be with us always, should
sober us and stop us from making fantastic, baseless ideas of
ourselves.
These gifts and blessings should make us more humble and
more responsible, as well as more discerning as to what God has in
mind for their proper use. That’s because when not referred to God,
these things can have no other effect than to spoil us.
And that’s when we, unwittingly perhaps, lead ourselves
down the road to a blinding self-righteousness. We have to be most
wary of this danger which is very common and can come to us in subtle
ways.
What is ideal is that our blessings and other divine and
natural gifts should be regarded and used with humility, gratitude and
the eagerness to serve the others. Otherwise they become very
poisonous.
The real saints and heroes never thought it beneath them
to suffer the inadequacies and the mistakes of others, following the
example of Christ who even went to the extent of washing the feet of
his apostles, and who clearly said that he came to serve and not to be
served.
Since any authority on earth is a participation of the
authority of God, those who have it, especially the sacred ministers,
should see to it that the exercise of their authority would make
others see Christ instead of their own selves.
We have to follow the example of St. John the Baptist who
said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3,30)
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