Patience - January 2

Patience
Thoughts on the Patient Endurance of Sorrows and Sufferings

MEEKNESS

"Learn of Me because I am meek and humble of heart." These are among the most familiar words of our Lord, and our favourite ejaculation to Him is: "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine!"

Our Lord was often angry; often He spoke with warmth and just severity; He called Herod "a fox," and the Pharisees "hypocrites," and with a scourge of cords He drove the money-changers from the temple; but all was done with perfect self-control, under the mighty rule of the meek­ness of the Son of God. This is the virtue whose praises we find scattered throughout the Scrip­ture, and which, in the second sentence of our Lord's public teaching, is eulogized and for ever associated with His Sacred Heart. "My Son, do thy works in meekness, and thou shalt be beloved above the glory of men, for the meek shall in­herit the land and shall delight in abundance of peace."

The fruit of meekness is described as the "pos­session of the land," and no more fitting image could be chosen. It points out the mastery of this virtue, enabling us to possess the land of our souls in patience and peace.

But there is another land that such souls possess: it is the land of the souls of others. Meekness is the mainspring of our influence for good over others, even as the want of it destroys all power of helping them or of winning their love.

Meekness, watered by charity, is a pass­port to the confidence of others. At peace our­selves, we bring others to peace, and calm their restless spirit, and set them on the road to spiri­tual health and vigour.

This virtue we must strive to learn, as we think of the Sacred Heart. It is one that needs much practice, but opportunities are of daily occur­rence. And the sick have many chances for its exercise, and need it emphatically. They need it to restrain the impatience and restlessness of soul to which protracted suffering naturally gives rise; they need the gentle restraint, the guiding hand of meekness to keep them in loving submis­sion to God's holy will, to prevent all fretfulness, and to secure their peace.

Moreover the sick have great influence for good over others; they have unusual facilities for "possessing the land" of other souls and winning them more fully to God. The success of this holy apostolate will be proportioned to the perfection with which they practise the virtue of meekness.
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Compiled and Edited by Rev. F. X. Lasance
Author of "My Prayerbook," etc.
1937, Benziger Brothers
Printers to the Holy Apostolic See