We have such good reasons, or serious pretexts, for excluding such and such a one from our affections--if not for excluding her, at least, for not including her.
Writing from Moscow in 1804 to one of his brothers, Xavier de Maistre ended his letter with this sentence: "I embrace the whole world...with a few exceptions."
That's it! The whole world! Ah, but wait! Not so fast! There are a few exceptions.
Let us examine ourselves sincerely. What is the breadth of our charity? Surely it may have some attractions, some understandable sympathies, some differences of opinion, that must be understood and admitted; but if we have a magnanimous heart these differences will not injure the peace of the community, in the least, but rather provide for an interesting exchange of views and an enriching comparison of ideas.
We are concerned here with wilful exclusion from our charity of certain individuals; of the intentional manifestation of bitterness, and of matter of fact refusals to give service. We are concerned with the thousand and one ways a woman has of letting another woman understand that she does not like her; that she is not at all in sympathy with her. To outsiders perhaps none of this is evident, but within the community it is apparent to all: the draw bridges are raised and no one can pass.
"O Jesus, whose charity was so universal give me the grace to exclude no one from my affection and my zeal. Grant that the less I like someone, the more supernaturally attached I may be to her."_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
No comments:
Post a Comment