grace, humility, mercy

LIPPI, Fra Filippo
Madonna of Humility (Trivulzio Madonna)
c. 1430
Panel
Castello Sforzesco, Milan
Other works by the artist...

grace

last night, as i was on page two of my essay regarding the tyranny of dieting, i thought i'd double-check my notes and cross-reference same with the book, only to discover i was working on the wrong essay.

doh!

it was already late as jim and i were the guest speakers at a local college for a friend of mine who teaches a class on event planning. i was tired, he was tired. i told him i'd miss class (i open on tuesdays) and would work on the real essay tomorrow - in which essay, by the way, i have chosen to "explain the effects on people or society of some aspect of the internet, such as chat rooms, online shopping, access to information, et cetera." my narrowed topic will be chat rooms and a closer look at "internet infidelity." you would NOT believe all the stuff i've found so far and how i can (ahem) relate to some of it (!!)

the grace part of this is my husband, in his calming way said "no worries, pen - i'll work for you tomorrow and take friday off..."

that was grace. big time.

he told me to limit my "socializing" and "get down to work at 9:00" so i have 14 more minutes to get this posted...

humility

this morning's readings, and more specifically from the Gospel of St. Luke 17: 7 - 10:

7
"Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'?
8
Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'?
9
Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
10
So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

this struck a chord (nerve?) in me as i had struggled just last week with wanting to not do all the work in my english comp class, probably for recognition's sake, and all i am required to do is my work and shut the heck up about it.

same with the restaurant. we go in and out of phases of wanting more, asking if "this is all there is?" wanting it to be different, when all we are really to do is work an honest day's work, know that we did it for the glory of God. it is when we are seeking glory for self that we run into some real issues, speaking for myself of course. or when someone gets "credit" for something they didn't do...

*sigh*

so much work to be done in me Lord. have mercy.

further thoughts on humility

today's meditation in my magnificat revealed, in part:

We can judge the degree of humility we have reached when the initiative is taken by others, that is, when others, and not ourselves, point to our faults and failings; when we are not only able to be truthful with ourselves but willingly allow others to tell us the truth about ourselves. Our state of humility is seen, in other words, in how we accept rebukes, correction, criticism, and humiliation...Father Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap. (Fr. Cantalamessa is the preacher to the papal household) (emphasis added)

i read this and my first thought, honestly, was "holy crap - i don't stand a chance!" it resonated with me to my very core and when words reach out and pierce me like that, i know there's a work to be done in me that probably hasn't even begun; i already urge its completion...i pray for the will of God in my life and try furtively to outrun it when it comes upon me.

just thinking aloud...

speaking of mercy.

have mercy on me, good folk, when it comes to pointing out my faults and failings. i am not *there* yet.

make it a good day :)