We shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God; for, beholding His greatness, we realize our own littleness; His purity shows us our foulness; and by meditating upon His humility we find how very far we are from being humble."
St. Teresa of Avila
For Reflection:
According to St. Teresa of Avila, why is meditating on the attributes of God an appropriate way to begin to cultivate the virtue of humility? Where do you most see yourself in the reflection above?
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Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.
St. Augustine
For Reflection:
Consider St. Augustine's statement about humility. Why do you think humility is the foundation of all the other virtues? Why is the appearance of any other virtue merely pretense if humility is lacking?
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For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
For Reflection:
What "time" is it in my life? How can patience help me make the most of it?
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"With Christians, a poetical view of things is a duty. We are bid to color all things with hues of faith, to see a divine meaning in every event."
Cardinal John Henry Newman
For Reflection:
Do I "color all things with hues of faith?" Do I see "a divine meaning in every event?" If I were to do so, how would this encourage the virtue of patience in me? What one situation or circumstance am I presently facing that can give me this opportunity?
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"There are many who excuse themselves, saying that if they were in other circumstances they would be much more patient. This is a grave mistake, for it assumes that virtue is a matter of geography, and not of moral effort. It makes little difference where we are; it all depends on what we are thinking about."
Fulton J. Sheen
For Reflection:
What is the connection between my thoughts and my actions? How can my thoughts help me to acquire patience regardless of my exterior circumstances? Where ought my thoughts be fixed if I am to grow in virtue?
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"For a stalk to grow or a flower to open there must be time that cannot be forced; nine months must go by for the birth of a human child; to write a book or compose music often years must be dedicated to patient research. To find the mystery there must be patience, interior purification, silence, waiting.
Pope John Paul II
For Reflection:
According to this quote, how does God use patience as an instrument to work His greatest wonders? How does this help me to appreciate the time between a prayer and its answer? A desire and its manifestation? A vision and its realization?
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"For a stalk to grow or a flower to open there must be time that cannot be forced; nine months must go by for the birth of a human child; to write a book or compose music often years must be dedicated to patient research. To find the mystery there must be patience, interior purification, silence, waiting.
Pope John Paul II
For Reflection:
According to this quote, how does God use patience as an instrument to work His greatest wonders? How does this help me to appreciate the time between a prayer and its answer? A desire and its manifestation? A vision and its realization?
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"God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience."
Oswald Chambers
For Reflection:
How have I done in my "valley" experiences? Has patience kept me steadfast or have I given way so that God's desires for me have not been accomplished?
(See tomorrow's Grace Line for another spiritual insight on God's will, timing, and patience.)
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"Hope is patience with the lamp lit."
Tertullian
For Reflection:
In the face of seemingly impossible circumstances, do I patiently endure with hope or do I give in to discouragement and fear? What one spiritual strategy can I employ to keep my "lamp lit?"
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"Without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. The gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase."
St. Rose of Lima
For Reflection:
What is the relationship between afflictions and the height of grace? Do I make use of such opportunities or do I rail against them?
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