Bits of the Gospel

Generous is the person who gives less importance to what he possesses and more importance to persons. A generous person evokes feelings of tenderness, gentleness, concern, and security. Generosity is the capacity to give without expecting reciprocation. It is the readiness to give resources, sentiments, and oneself because one feels responsible for everything, and part of everything. A friend of mine says, "Let me be won over by charity. Let generosity rule over me." And by so saying, she goes ahead to give without measure. I think that the generous person has been won over by the love of Christ, which thereby becomes the operating force from within. [2 Cor 5:14]. Reflect.

Patience is the open attitude of expecting the best regardless [or is it through?] the defects, slow-paces of others. It is the capacity to retain the openness of mind in order to notice the small things of life which, in the frenzied speed of our world, tend to skip our notice. In a world like ours, everything is fast-paced and people are even more impatient. There is a clear contradiction in that. While in the past things were slower, people were more patient. Now in this fast-tracked world, we seem to go ahead of the speed of our own gadgets. One would expect us to be more patient since we know that things will surely come at their own pace. Impatience is a way of being absent-minded. The patient person is aware of details and tends to let each detail unfold completely. The rhythm of life for a patient person is found in nature itself. There is no that terrible urge for a faster process for everything. Even in the spiritual sphere, patient people are not impatient with God, who...

Humility is the other name for self-esteem. It does not mean to feel or see oneself like a useless worm. It does not mean to attitude of putting oneself for despise. It is rather the just respect for oneself. It means knowing oneself with all the limits and strengths, as one capable of starting anew regardless of the falls. The humble student, for instance, prepares himself more for exams and works better everyday. He learns more because unlike the proud who think that they know everything, the humble person feels the need to know more. He does not do things just for competition. He instead collaborates more and gives space to others. He is not anxious to appear and become the center of attention. For him, there is nothing in him programmed for triumph all the time. The humble person feels the need of others and knows how to involve them. He diffuses joy and lets the day flow without interrupting with worries. Precisely because he is humble, he manages to keep his calm and entertai...

Virtues are the content of our character, the very fabric of our lives which makes people see in us power, strength, inner quality. They are rightly said to be what is good about us. The society in which we live tends to ignore anything that seems weak and upholds all what is domineering. For instance, gentleness is the accumulation of qualities and attitudes which make us approachable and amiable for all people. Yet our society nurtures aggressiveness and arrogance such that these highly aggressive people are literally adored either in movies or in real-street-life. Kindness has become synonymous with weakness. St. Paul puts it candidly in Gal 5:22-23. Virtues are fruits of the Holy Spirit. With them, we no longer walk by sight but the the Spirit [Gal 5:25]. We can begin to grasp the depth of this statement by invoking the same Spirit.

Trust is that precious attitude towards yourself, other people and God. Nothing is more ruinous and precarious in life than to mistrust the spontaneity of a person. It so much dangerous to life that a little mistrust puts other off and makes them feel suspected and judged even before they are given a chance to be heard. I have met people who simply "psychologize" and analyze people as a tool to relationship. This destroys trust badly. It is like exposing everything personal and invaluably secret about the private life of another. It is making what would be decent in secret to be public defamation. People love the sincerity that emerges from the attitude of trust. Trust, in fact, is the capacity to encounter and accept others just as they are. And before being a virtue, it is a target in life which has to be achieved through hard work, determination, and prayerful engagement with the Almighty God. Yes, no one is more loved that a person who accepts others simply, naturally...

Anyone who has discovered Christ leads others to Christ. A great joy cannot be kept to oneself. It has to be shared, passed on, and multiplied. Some people tend to live their lives as if with or without God everything would be the same. Yet, the great secret is always the same. There is always a feeling of frustration, a sense of dissatisfaction with everyone and everything. No wonder those who refuse to acknowledge God in their lives become victims of other strange attachments. We who have discovered Christ have a duty to save others from the dreadful feeling of dissatisfaction and hopelessness. Faith shared is faith growing or expanding. Needless to say, faith is nourished by such commitment.