Patience
1. Patience may be external or internal. Both are necessary aspects of
the same virtue. External patience consists in refraining from outbursts
of anger and from sarcastic comments – in short, from all words and
actions which might give offence to others. It is easy to be patient
when our affairs are running smoothly and everybody is being nice to us.
It is quite another matter when we come
up against difficulties or find that we are being slighted or insulted.
It is hard to remain silent when our pride has been wounded, and it
requires the virtue of a saint to be able to smile at our tormentors. It
took St. Francis de Sales years of spiritual conflict before he
achieved this kind of perfection.
How far can we claim to have
succeeded in acquiring this virtue? We should always remember that
temperamental explosions are unworthy of a rational being. The only
proper course when we have been offended is to state our case clearly
and calmly, though generally speaking it is more heroic to remain
silent. Impatience is futile because it cannot remedy the situation, and
often harmful because it upsets us and only produces bitterness. Acts
of impatience, moreover, are a source of bad example to others. “The
quick-tempered man,” says Sacred Scripture, “makes a fool of himself.”
(Prov. 14:17) “The patient man,” it adds, “shows much good sense, but
the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height.” (Id. 14:19)
If we live in the presence of God, we shall learn to be calm and self-controlled in all circumstances.
2. An outward show of patience will hardly avail us much in God’s eyes
unless it is accompanied by interior patience, which consists in the
possession of complete mastery over all our faculties. We should be able
to control our feelings as well as our actions. This is a difficult
virtue, but it is the duty of every sincere Christian to try and acquire
it. Only the grace of God and constant effort will enable us to
succeed, but when we have at last mastered our unruly and selfish
impulses we shall have arrived at a state of peace and perfection. “By
your patience you will win your souls.” (Luke 21:19)
3. If we
are patient from the motive of the love of God, we can gain merit in His
sight. There are three grades of perfection in this virtue. (1) The
first is the acceptance, with Christian resignation, of every kind of
misfortune, offering it in expiation of our sins. (2) The second
consists in a cheerful and willing acceptance of these misfortunes
because they come from God. (3) The third stage is reached when we
actually desire them out of our love for Jesus Christ.
Which
grade have we attained? If we wish to please God, it is essential that
we should have made the first grade at least. “A patient man is better
than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city.”
(Prov. 16:32)
No comments:
Post a Comment