June 2, 2011 Thursday: 6th Week of Easter (A)
A Supernatural Motive Increases the Benefits of Selflessness
from The Hidden Power of Kindness by Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik
Selfishness often darkens the vision and restrains the hand stretched forth to do a kindness. Do not be one of those who, for he sake of honor or praise from people, are ready to make great sacrifices, but neglect the little acts of kindness that add more luster to their name than do great deeds inspired by selfish motives. A kind word or a kind act is like lighting another man's candle with your own, which loses none of its brightness by what the other gains.
The tendency to be self-centered is strong in most of us. This is why St. Francis de Sales states, "Our principal business should be to conquer ourselves, and to become more perfect every day in this practice. It is particularly necessary that w should apply ourselves to be victorious in little temptations, such as boastfulness, suspicion, jealousy, indolence, and vanity. By so doing, we shall obtain the strength to resist greater ones."
Check up on yourself regarding your own self-centeredness which shows up itself in self-satisfaction,the seeking of personal advantages, or a low opinion of others. Perhaps you let yourself get in your way entirely too frequently. Try to "get out of yourself": rid yourself of gloomy obsession; stop brooding over hurt feelings and apparent wrongs. Instead, make every effort to foster cheerful thoughts, to look at the miseries of others in life and see them through their eyes, and to cultivate a tender helpfulness toward them. In general, try to exercise the charity upon them that you would so much appreciate, if it were bestowed upon you.
To do good to others in the hope that, in turn, our Lord will be good to you is a supernatural motive, even if it is self-centered. To do good to others with the consciousness that Christ asks it of you is less egoistic. To do good to others because you are convinced that Christ will consider it as having done to Him personally is a sign of pure love of God. To do good to others because thereby you can please God, and you want to give Him the best you can, is perfect love of God.
Do all the good to others that circumstances allow. If you concentrate on yourself too often, your life will be flat and empty. Lively interest in others makes you rise above the pettiness of self-love. Self-love is to be dissolved in the crucible of a common interest in people. Self-effacement in order that others may be made happy is a lifework that will be most richly rewarded by God. It is Christlike to give generously of your kind thoughts, your heartening words, and your kind deeds.
from The Hidden Power of Kindness by Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik
The tendency to be self-centered is strong in most of us. This is why St. Francis de Sales states, "Our principal business should be to conquer ourselves, and to become more perfect every day in this practice. It is particularly necessary that w should apply ourselves to be victorious in little temptations, such as boastfulness, suspicion, jealousy, indolence, and vanity. By so doing, we shall obtain the strength to resist greater ones."
Check up on yourself regarding your own self-centeredness which shows up itself in self-satisfaction,the seeking of personal advantages, or a low opinion of others. Perhaps you let yourself get in your way entirely too frequently. Try to "get out of yourself": rid yourself of gloomy obsession; stop brooding over hurt feelings and apparent wrongs. Instead, make every effort to foster cheerful thoughts, to look at the miseries of others in life and see them through their eyes, and to cultivate a tender helpfulness toward them. In general, try to exercise the charity upon them that you would so much appreciate, if it were bestowed upon you.
To do good to others in the hope that, in turn, our Lord will be good to you is a supernatural motive, even if it is self-centered. To do good to others with the consciousness that Christ asks it of you is less egoistic. To do good to others because you are convinced that Christ will consider it as having done to Him personally is a sign of pure love of God. To do good to others because thereby you can please God, and you want to give Him the best you can, is perfect love of God.
Do all the good to others that circumstances allow. If you concentrate on yourself too often, your life will be flat and empty. Lively interest in others makes you rise above the pettiness of self-love. Self-love is to be dissolved in the crucible of a common interest in people. Self-effacement in order that others may be made happy is a lifework that will be most richly rewarded by God. It is Christlike to give generously of your kind thoughts, your heartening words, and your kind deeds.
