tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26883902.post3217733182496192503..comments2024-03-25T11:09:41.538-04:00Comments on a minor friar blog: Little OpportunitiesBrother Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07780326836452864455noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26883902.post-72728472086387015002011-01-15T16:17:52.756-05:002011-01-15T16:17:52.756-05:00Thought-provoking post. I let it percolate overnig...Thought-provoking post. I let it percolate overnight. <br /><br />I can see two different situations arising from the same scenario:<br /><br />The first would be taking the snub or praise in a way that stroked the ego and inflated pride. <br /><br />In this first scenario the praise or snub would be measured against the success or failure of another priest. <br /><br />It would measure whether I am "better than" another. This first situation would need the antidote of humility.<br /><br />In the second instance, an equally plausible scenario could be lifted from the same set of facts. <br /><br />We are pleased when someone attends because they like what we're doing and we are dis-pleased when they do not attend, if it means they do not like what we're doing.<br /><br />This need not have to do with pride. It may concern love. <br /><br />We seek to perform our duties so to pleases others as a gift of love to them. <br /><br />Knowing we are successful does not necessarily imply pride or vanity. We may simply care about increasing the amount of love and happiness in the world.<br /><br />In this latter case we measure how well we are achieving the goal of bringing people to God's love, and if we need to be more successful it is not for vanity's sake, but rather to better meet His needs.<br /><br />So, I would not necessarily equate concern with success with pride or vanity.Greghttp://tamingthewolf.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26883902.post-16175743223526229442011-01-14T21:54:11.818-05:002011-01-14T21:54:11.818-05:00One of my earliest posts was The Opportunity of a ...One of my earliest posts was <a href="http://tau-cross.blogspot.com/2007/10/opportunity-of-humiliation.html" rel="nofollow">The Opportunity of a Humiliation</a>. Here's an excerpt:<br /><br /><i>In his description of a 'True Friar Minor', Francis uses an illustration of himself being criticized and removed from office in the Order becauseā¦"you have no eloquence, you are simple and unlettered." He continues, "At length I am thrown out with reproaches and despised by all. I say to you unless I listen to these words [of humiliation] with the same face, with the same joy, with the same purpose of sanctity,[as words of praise], I am in no way a Friar Minor." And he added: "In an office is found an occasion for a fall; in praise, an occasion for complete destruction; in the humility of being a subject, an occasion for profit for the soul. Why then do we pay more attention to the dangers than to the profit, when we have time to gain profit?</i>Tausignhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02522475697145247296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26883902.post-73569444117169911542011-01-13T15:43:15.517-05:002011-01-13T15:43:15.517-05:00Or use our sensitivity to our best spiritual advan...Or use our sensitivity to our best spiritual advantage!Brother Charleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07780326836452864455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26883902.post-37423106491216533272011-01-13T13:47:14.580-05:002011-01-13T13:47:14.580-05:00Father, I have asked my priest the same question o...Father, I have asked my priest the same question one morning after Morning Prayer, he said he was, yet I didn't stay for Mass because I couldn't. Now you've got me wondering whether I might have hurt his feelings. Sometimes, may be we shouldn't be too sensitive, no?clavishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681035621152936549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26883902.post-9799493277074031872011-01-13T12:25:44.789-05:002011-01-13T12:25:44.789-05:00Thank you.Thank you.Saranoreply@blogger.com