“Brothers and sisters,” St. Paul says to ‘his flock’: If
there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in
the spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same
mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out
of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more
important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but…for
those of others.”
Imagine a husband and a wife adhering to this challenge, “being
of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing,” the
good of each other, the well being of their children, raising the children in
the faith, modeling the Gospel messages of Jesus for their children. Imagine,
too, a husband and a wife doing “nothing out of selfishness,…humbly [regarding
the other] as more important than…[oneself] (I would say “as important as oneself),
each looking out not for his [or her]
own interest, but…for those of…[the other and the children]. And, again, I would say, “looking out for the
other’s interest, as well as one’s own, and putting forth efforts to meet one’s
own needs as well as that of the other. I say that because it is easy to play
the “martyr’s role,” always putting the
other’s needs before one’s own, neglecting oneself, and eventually resenting
the other. It is a delicate balance and important, I believe, to realize that
one’s own authentic needs are as important as the needs of the other person.
Something, definitely to think about as husband/wife,
mother/father.
As a member of a religious community, the same applies. How unselfish
am I? To what extent do I look to the interest of others, take time to listen,
dialogue, be open to the opinion of others and express my own, to seek common
ground so as to come to a point of “ being of the same mind, with the same
love, united in heart, thinking one thing,” in this case following the Spirit’s
lead in regard to ministry and the building up of community life?
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