Feb. 8, 2012 Wednesday: 5th Week in Ordinary (B)
Dressed in Gentleness
Once in a while we meet a gentle person. Gentleness is a
virtue hard to find in a society that admires toughness and roughness. We are
encouraged to get things done and to get them done fast, even when people get
hurt in the process. Success, accomplishment, and productivity count. But the
cost is high. There is no place for gentleness in such a milieu.
Gentle is the one who does "not break the crushed reed,
or snuff the faltering wick" (Matthew 12:20). Gentle is the one who is
attentive to the strengths and weaknesses of the other and enjoys being
together more than accomplishing something. A gentle person treads lightly,
listens carefully, looks tenderly, and touches with reverence. A gentle person
knows that true growth requires nurture, not force. Let's dress ourselves with
gentleness. In our tough and often unbending world our gentleness can be a
vivid reminder of the presence of God among us.
-Fr. Henri Nouwen
