Daily Reflections ...

I wonder if, when you were in school, you too, were guilty of not only convincing your parents, but also yourself, that something naughty you did was the fault of someone else. “She made me do it,” or” I did it ‘cos he said he wouldn’t be my friend if I didn’t.”  Even as adults we can find this in our words or thoughts: ”He got me so angry that I ….”  We all try, at some time, to make ourselves ‘clean as a whistle’, to justify ourselves, all the while, knowing inside the truth of our doings.

It’s certainly challenging to be reminded that many of our difficulties begin with ourselves and are not the fault of others. Our difficulties, our “mis-behaviours” come from within us. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart,…”

Now we rarely use the word ‘defiles’ today.  Taints, degrades, dishonours, are more appropriate synonyms. Yes, so often our behaviours do “dis-honour” who we really are: created in the image of God, temples (sacred homes) of God Spirit.

St Benedict, in his Rule, offers us similar encouragement:

“ If you notice something good in yourself, give credit to God, not to yourself, but be certain that the evil you commit is always your own and yours to acknowledge.” (RB 4:42-43)

And again:

“Try to be the first to show respect to the other, supporting with the greatest patience one another’s weaknesses of body and behaviour”. (RB 72:4)

Perhaps greater respect for ourselves is a good place to start today.

by Liz Wiemers sgs