Good Example
1. The Saints achieved a great deal by preaching and by conversation, but they achieved far more by good example. Their spiritual power of personality touched even the most hardened sinners.
It is said of St. Romuald that everyone who visited him experienced great interior happiness. His appearance alone was enough to cheer them. He was so detached from himself and fr...om the things of the world, and so absorbed in God, that he was always smiling. The Cure d'Ars, too, converted more people by the unseen impact of his personal holiness than by the simple sermons which he delivered to the crowds gathered about him.
Unfortunately, quite the opposite influence is exerted by hardened sinners and by self-centred worldlings, and even greater damage is done by those who are immersed in soul-destroying sensuality. The latter exhale the breath of death, and the familiarity of their friendship perverts and corrupts those with whom they come in contact.
Examine your behaviour at home and in society, for it affects not only your own spiritual welfare, but that of your neighbour as well.
2. The Holy Spirit tells us that God entrusts to everyone the care of his neighbour. (Ecclus. 17:12) “Let your light shine before men,” says Jesus Christ, “in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Mt. 5: 16) St. Paul echoes this counsel when he warns us not to return evil for evil, but to “provide good things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men.” (Cf. Rom. 12:17) In other words, we are obliged to edify our neighbour by our good example.
Good example is the most effective sermon, and it is a sermon which all of us can and should deliver. We ought to preach this sermon everywhere and at all times—in the Church and outside it, in our family circle and in society, with our superiors, equals and inferiors, when we are speaking and when we are silent, in our behaviour and in our appearance.
3. Above all, we must avoid giving scandal. Jesus Christ strongly condemned this sin, which destroys so many souls. “Woe to the world because of scandals! . . . Woe to the man through whom scandal does come! . . . It were better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Mt. 18:5-7) If we are compelled to admit that by our behaviour or conversation we have given rise to scandal and have endangered the eternal salvation of our neighbour, let us repent humbly and do our best to repair the damage as far as possible.
Let us henceforth endeavour, moreover, to edify our fellow-men in every possible way. What a consolation it would be for us to know that we had led a soul back to God. It would be more than a consolation; in fact, it would be a guarantee of our own future salvation.
“My brethren,” says St. James, “if any one of you strays from the truth and someone brings him back, he ought to know that he who causes a sinner to be brought back from his misguided way, will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20)
Showing posts with label good example. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good example. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Monday, 14 July 2014
The Good Odour of Christ - Cardinal Bacci
The Good Odour of Christ
1. Everyone has an attractive side to his personality which can draw others towards good or towards evil, for a man's behaviour, countenance, and conversation reflect his inner spirit. Charm is very often a mysterious and undefinable quality. Sometimes you may meet a man of the world who has forgotten that he has an immortal soul and lives purely for pleasure. Even before he speaks to you, you can read on his lips and in his eyes the kind of man he is. If you fail to resist and to do your best to remain on a higher plane, you will be overwhelmed by the charm of his personality.
You can also encounter charm, however, in a privileged soul who is in constant contact with God. You can find it in the monk who has left the world in order to meditate on God and to pray for his own salvation and for the salvation of his brothers in Christ. You can meet it in a Saint, one of those rare men who lives in the world but thinks all the time of God. When you encounter this supernatural charm, you experience a longing to be good and holy also.
You can see a reflection of Heaven in the eyes of a Saint. When he speaks to you, words which if uttered by somebody else would have no force, stir you and urge you towards all that is good. What exactly is this quality of attractiveness? It is "the sweet odour of Christ," the spiritual fragrance of virtue. Anyone who met St. Aloysius Gonzaga felt a yearning to be pure. Anyone who heard the unadorned sermons of the Cure d'Ars wept for his sins and was set on fire with the love of God and the desire of everlasting happiness. It was the same with all the Saints. Do we influence others in this way?
2. What quality of attraction do I possess? My behaviour is the mirror of my spiritual life. If I love God and am detached from the world, especially from sin, and if I practise mortification and strive to advance in the way of Christian perfection, my personality will influence others to do good. My good example rather than my words will have a spiritual appeal for others, so that I shall be a living sermon.
Words are heard, but example attracts. It is a great misfortune for me if my sins, tepidity or vices are the true reflection of my spiritual state and lead others into evil also.
3. I ought to examine the way in which I behave in the church, in my family, and in society. When I am in the church, my whole being should be absorbed in prayer. My mind should be occupied with God, my heart should love Him, and my lips should praise and thank Him. Anyone who sees me praying should wish to do the same.
When I am in my own home, I should promote peace and harmony by my good example. The family is like a miniature church in which everyone should exercise some priestly function in keeping with his position.
Finally, I should carry about in society ‘the good odour of Christ,’ the fragrance of my interior holiness. I can do this if I am not ashamed of my Christian faith and if I act constantly in perfect accordance with the evangelical precepts.
When I have examined myself on these points, I should form resolutions which will help me to improve my behaviour.
1. Everyone has an attractive side to his personality which can draw others towards good or towards evil, for a man's behaviour, countenance, and conversation reflect his inner spirit. Charm is very often a mysterious and undefinable quality. Sometimes you may meet a man of the world who has forgotten that he has an immortal soul and lives purely for pleasure. Even before he speaks to you, you can read on his lips and in his eyes the kind of man he is. If you fail to resist and to do your best to remain on a higher plane, you will be overwhelmed by the charm of his personality.
You can also encounter charm, however, in a privileged soul who is in constant contact with God. You can find it in the monk who has left the world in order to meditate on God and to pray for his own salvation and for the salvation of his brothers in Christ. You can meet it in a Saint, one of those rare men who lives in the world but thinks all the time of God. When you encounter this supernatural charm, you experience a longing to be good and holy also.
You can see a reflection of Heaven in the eyes of a Saint. When he speaks to you, words which if uttered by somebody else would have no force, stir you and urge you towards all that is good. What exactly is this quality of attractiveness? It is "the sweet odour of Christ," the spiritual fragrance of virtue. Anyone who met St. Aloysius Gonzaga felt a yearning to be pure. Anyone who heard the unadorned sermons of the Cure d'Ars wept for his sins and was set on fire with the love of God and the desire of everlasting happiness. It was the same with all the Saints. Do we influence others in this way?
2. What quality of attraction do I possess? My behaviour is the mirror of my spiritual life. If I love God and am detached from the world, especially from sin, and if I practise mortification and strive to advance in the way of Christian perfection, my personality will influence others to do good. My good example rather than my words will have a spiritual appeal for others, so that I shall be a living sermon.
Words are heard, but example attracts. It is a great misfortune for me if my sins, tepidity or vices are the true reflection of my spiritual state and lead others into evil also.
3. I ought to examine the way in which I behave in the church, in my family, and in society. When I am in the church, my whole being should be absorbed in prayer. My mind should be occupied with God, my heart should love Him, and my lips should praise and thank Him. Anyone who sees me praying should wish to do the same.
When I am in my own home, I should promote peace and harmony by my good example. The family is like a miniature church in which everyone should exercise some priestly function in keeping with his position.
Finally, I should carry about in society ‘the good odour of Christ,’ the fragrance of my interior holiness. I can do this if I am not ashamed of my Christian faith and if I act constantly in perfect accordance with the evangelical precepts.
When I have examined myself on these points, I should form resolutions which will help me to improve my behaviour.
Friday, 25 April 2014
Word and Example - Cardinal Bacci
Word and Example
1. There is great power in the spoken word. It can act like a ray of light upon the mind of a man groping about in the darkness of error. It can present a moving appeal to a sinner to return to God. It can comfort the soul in affliction and in loneliness. Good example, however, is even more powerful than speech. At times it can be irresistible. A man can remain deaf to good advice, but it is difficult for him to remain unaffected by the virtuous behaviour and spirit of sacrifice of someone who is trying to lead him towards goodness. The sermons of the Saints were effective not only because they were inspired by love for God and for souls, but also because they were reinforced by the holiness of the preachers. St. Augustine was converted by the pleadings and prayers of St. Monica, but apart from the grace of God it was the example of his mother's sanctity which made her exhortations so convincing. It was as much by the example of his untiring zeal as by the simplicity of his sermons that the Cure d'Ars converted thousands upon thousands of people. St. Francis de Sales would never have converted so many heretics if his apostolic personality had not possessed such a quality of supernatural attractiveness. Let us do as much good as we can by means of speech whenever the opportunity arises, but above all let us make sure that our lives reflect faithfully the principles which we proclaim. This is the only way in which we shall be able to lead our fellow-men to God.
2. Good example is the most effective sermon, and we are all obliged to preach in this fashion. God entrusted the care of his neighbour to each one of us. (Ecclus. 17:12) Each of us is responsible for the salvation of those who have been entrusted to him in this way, especially for the salvation of those who live near him and are influenced by his behaviour. Jesus' exhortations in this regard have the force of a command. “Let your light shine before men,” He says, “in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Mt. 5:16) St. Paul urges us to “provide good things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men.” (Cf. Rom. 12:17) This must not be interpreted as meaning that we should be anxious for others to see our good deeds in order that they may respect and praise us. It is our own undoing if our good example is tainted with ostentation, for we should lose all merit for it and should deserve to hear the words of the Eternal Judge: “You have received your reward.” (Cf. Mt. 6:5) Our good example should be inspired only by the love of God and of our neighbour but never by self-love.
3. We should give good example everywhere and in every way, at home and in the church, in the company of those who are subordinate to us and of those who have authority over us, in speech and in dress, by moderation in our eating habits and in the furnishings of our house, by the pictures which we hang in our rooms and by the books and magazines which we read. We should be particularly careful to keep in safe custody those books and journals which are necessary to us for purposes of study but could be an occasion of sin for others. Our whole demeanour should radiate goodness. Let us remember the words of St. James: “He who causes a sinner to be brought back from his misguided way, will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20) By saving the souls of others we save our own.
1. There is great power in the spoken word. It can act like a ray of light upon the mind of a man groping about in the darkness of error. It can present a moving appeal to a sinner to return to God. It can comfort the soul in affliction and in loneliness. Good example, however, is even more powerful than speech. At times it can be irresistible. A man can remain deaf to good advice, but it is difficult for him to remain unaffected by the virtuous behaviour and spirit of sacrifice of someone who is trying to lead him towards goodness. The sermons of the Saints were effective not only because they were inspired by love for God and for souls, but also because they were reinforced by the holiness of the preachers. St. Augustine was converted by the pleadings and prayers of St. Monica, but apart from the grace of God it was the example of his mother's sanctity which made her exhortations so convincing. It was as much by the example of his untiring zeal as by the simplicity of his sermons that the Cure d'Ars converted thousands upon thousands of people. St. Francis de Sales would never have converted so many heretics if his apostolic personality had not possessed such a quality of supernatural attractiveness. Let us do as much good as we can by means of speech whenever the opportunity arises, but above all let us make sure that our lives reflect faithfully the principles which we proclaim. This is the only way in which we shall be able to lead our fellow-men to God.
2. Good example is the most effective sermon, and we are all obliged to preach in this fashion. God entrusted the care of his neighbour to each one of us. (Ecclus. 17:12) Each of us is responsible for the salvation of those who have been entrusted to him in this way, especially for the salvation of those who live near him and are influenced by his behaviour. Jesus' exhortations in this regard have the force of a command. “Let your light shine before men,” He says, “in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Mt. 5:16) St. Paul urges us to “provide good things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men.” (Cf. Rom. 12:17) This must not be interpreted as meaning that we should be anxious for others to see our good deeds in order that they may respect and praise us. It is our own undoing if our good example is tainted with ostentation, for we should lose all merit for it and should deserve to hear the words of the Eternal Judge: “You have received your reward.” (Cf. Mt. 6:5) Our good example should be inspired only by the love of God and of our neighbour but never by self-love.
3. We should give good example everywhere and in every way, at home and in the church, in the company of those who are subordinate to us and of those who have authority over us, in speech and in dress, by moderation in our eating habits and in the furnishings of our house, by the pictures which we hang in our rooms and by the books and magazines which we read. We should be particularly careful to keep in safe custody those books and journals which are necessary to us for purposes of study but could be an occasion of sin for others. Our whole demeanour should radiate goodness. Let us remember the words of St. James: “He who causes a sinner to be brought back from his misguided way, will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20) By saving the souls of others we save our own.
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